THANAMATTAPOEIA / U.S.A. / Louisiana Premiere

Thanamattapoeia is a difficult-to-define video poem. Written in response to Allen Ginsberg’s death, it explores the metaphoric relationships within the physics and anatomy of life and death. The film uses technique, rather than imagery, to establish the visual metaphors.

Director's Statement:

Presenting poetry in film/video is a complex thing. In over 40 years of attempting and approaching this concept I have given up on the use of metaphoric imagery. For me, the poem must be the primary content and technique is my way of enhancing, explicating, and expanding the poem’s meaning, rhythms, and intention. Scientific concepts loom large in my poetry and technique reinforces them in ways I do not believe I could achieve through metaphoric imagery or special effects. I rely on the cinematographer and sound engineer to achieve this during shooting and I take the lead during edit.