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The Best of Video Poetry 2024
Arts + Literature Laboratory is proud to present some of our favorite video poems featured in the first four years of the Midwest Video Poetry Fest. The festival, which invites audiences to discover (or rediscover) poetry, is the first of its kind in Wisconsin. These films, selected specifically for Hawthorne Public Library, include short video poems from around the world, as well as work from regional and local artists. These works are funny, inspiring, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and timely. The creators of the festival will be on hand to talk about what video poetry is, provide tips on how to make your own, talk about the films themselves, and answer questions.
The screening takes place at Hawthorne Public Library, 2707 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53704.
Genia Daniels is a long-time Madison resident involved in multiple art forms. She is a founding board member of Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL).
Rita Mae Reese is a Co-director of ALL. An animated video from the title poem of her first book, The Alphabet Conspiracy, was showcased at the Association of Independent Commercial Producers Midwest Trade Show.
1) Learn to Swim Pt 2 (5m6s)
Directed by Carlos Zaya
Written by Ehimwenma Joshua Idehen
United Kingdom
Joshua Idehen recites a poem—a collection of dozens of aphorisms about living a more fulfilling life, including the benefits of learning how to swim.
2) I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always (4m06s)
Directed by Laura Iancu
Written by Douglas Kearney
Virginia, United States
A poem extracted from a Douglas Kearney public zoom reading with a visual treatment by Laura Iancu.
3) The Moon Appears (3m37s)
Directed by Jelle Meys
Written by Federico García Lorca
Belgium
An animated interpretation of the mysterious poem "La luna asoma (The moon appears)" by the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.
At the rise of the moon
bells fade out
and impassable paths
appear….
4) The Beckoning (3m18s)
Directed by DeMar Walker
Written by Destinny Fletcher
Wisconsin, United States
“The Beckoning” is a dance short film that addresses the historical & political violence of displacement/dispossession inflicted on the Black body in hopes of signifying the inherent virtue of Black life within American society. The film features choreography by DeMar Walker, original poetry by Destinny Fletcher, and original music by Kellen “KLASSIK” Abston.
5) This Is Just to Say (30s)
Directed by Joseph Puglisi
Written by Joseph Puglisi
Colorado, United States Joseph Puglisi's Website
A contemporary take on William Carlos Williams’s modern classic.
6) Crane Waltz (2m27s)
Directed by Kelly Smith-Campbell
Written by Michelle Seaman
United States Author's Website
Interdisciplinary Artists, Kelly Smith-Campbell, Michelle Seaman, and Benjamin Dauer collaborate as Half Wild blending spoken and sung poetry with electro-acoustic music. For Crane Waltz, they explore what it means to move, migrate, connect, and keep a steady pace in an ever-changing world.
Poet, educator, and Cave Canem co-founder Cornelius Eady performs his poem "The Racist Bone" in a film shot in Poets House in New York City.
8) Emmett (til de remix) (6m09s)
Directed by Masahiro Sugano
Written by Avery R. Young, Masahiro Sugano
Washington, United States Studio Revolt Website
This powerful spoken word film, a collaboration between filmmaker Masahiro Sugano and poet Avery R. Young, pays homage to the Civil Rights Movement in honor of Emmett Till.
9) One Night (0m55s)
Directed by Amara Rumi Doughtery
Written by Michael Bazzett
Pennsylvania, United States
"One Night" is a commissioned poem collaboration by award-winning poet Michael Bazzett of Chicago and thirteen-year-old autistic animator Amara Rumi Dougherty of Erie, PA.
10) Hide Your Name (3m33s)
Directed by Aninda Rahman
Written by Nazia Afrin
Bangladesh
Based on "Genocide", a poem by Nazia Afrin, this is an unusually progressing collage film presenting typographic animation, erasure poetry, and the exploration of assimilation and “otherness.”
11) Frozen Out (5m00s)
Directed by Hao Zhou
Written by Hao Zhou
China
An émigré retreats to frozen prairies and swamps, hoping to find a meaningful story and escape the anxieties of dislocation. Delivered as a film-letter to the protagonist’s sister in rural China, the film considers his queer self-exile and the vulnerable nature of his home, relationships, and self.
12) Davenport (1m30s)
Directed by Michelle Marie Kelley
Written by Michelle Marie Kelley
United States
A Short animated poem with original score. Made with pressure prints hand stenciled and printed on a Vandercook letterpress. Over 300 prints were made to complete each frame of this film.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.
Our galleries are normally open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.
