Description
Described as an innovative and unique project – Frame to Frames : Your Eyes Follow is a bilingual (English and Spanish) poetry book with a QR link to a 17-film screening of the poetry films made from the poems.
The concept of a book-film arose from Sarah Tremlett’s Frame to Frames : Your Eyes Follow ekphrastic poetry film prize, where poetry filmmakers respond to works of art. The 2023 edition II of the prize was premiered at FOTOGENIA, Mexico City; and the accompanying publication of the poems, synopses and stills from the QR-linked films alongside artists’ biographies was also launched at the same time, with a print date of May, 2024.
The festival painting Huapango Torero (see cover) by non-binary Mexican artist Ana Segovia was the festival artwork prompt and was chosen by many of the artists. This particular painting (a revision of an original work), where a boy holds a flower up to a bull, is a call to end animal cruelty, machismo and bullfighting. It has produced some extraordinary works from over half the artists, whilst others have chosen their own equally resonant paintings.
With an introduction by Sarah Tremlett that includes commentaries by: Csilla Toldy, judges Janée J.Baugher (leading authority on ekphrastic poetry) poetry filmmaker Mary McDonald; and also poetry filmmakers Colm Scully, Meriel Lland (winner of the prize) Carlos Ramirez Kobra and Penny Florence. The book is a rich source of poetry and films and helps shed light on the art of ekphrastic poetry filmmaking. This is a leading international work, the first of its kind in this field, that celebrates both translation and transmedia, showcasing a wide variety of examples of the art of poetry film and its adaptation to the screen.
ARTISTS
Sarah Tremlett, UK: Patricia Killelea, US; Tova Beck Friedman, US; Alejandro Thornton, AR; Colm Scully, IRL; Janet Lees, UK (Lois P Jones and Elena K Byrne, US); Martin Sercombe, (Thom Conroy) NZ; Pamela Falkenberg & Jack Cochran, US; Csilla Toldy, HU, IRL; Finn Harvor, CA; Javier Robledo, AR; Beate Gordes, DE; lan Gibbins, (Judy Morris); Carlos Ramirez Kobra, MX; Penny Florence, UK; Meriel Lland, UK; Ana Pantic, RS
SCREENINGS/ PROYECCIONES EN:
FOTOGENIA, Mexico City, December, 2023; REELpoetry, Houston, April, 2024; Weimar Poetry Film Festival, The International Poetry Film Festival of Thuringia, Germany, May, 2024; ‘We Need to Talk about Ekphrasis Now’ Leeds Trinity University, July, 2024; Bristol Literary Film Festival, August, 2024; Maldito Festival de Videopoesía, Albacete, Spain, November, 2024.
For a bilingual documentary on the project with five of the filmmakers: Para ver un documental bilingüe sobre del proyecto: https://vimeo.com/929116208
REVIEWS / ENDORSEMENTS
‘How often in poetry films the poems pass you by, but with a book-film link you can stop, pause, and really take in the poems, in both English and Spanish, before returning to the film again.’ Artist, Janet Lees
‘As Director of FOTOGENIA, I am very proud to present the second Frame to Frames: Your Eyes Follow screening as part of FOTOGENIA 5, Mexico City, 2023. The films are all extraordinary, and I am thrilled that the painting Huapango Torero by Mexican artist Ana Segovia was selected as a prompt for making poetry films. Most importantly, this book provides an insight into the art of translation – from painting to bilingual poem to film in many different interpretations.’ Christian Pacheco-Cámara (Dr Chris Patch), Director of FOTOGENIA film festival
‘Como director de FOTOGENIA, tengo el honor de presentar la segunda edición de la proyección de Frame to Frames: Your Eyes Follow como parte de FOTOGENIA 5, Cuidad de México, 2023. Las películas son todas extraordinarias, y me siento emocionada de que el cuadro Huapango Torero de la artista mexicana Ana Segovia fuera elegido como motivo para la creación de películas poéticas. Ante todo, este libro proporciona una perspectiva del arte de la traducción, de la pintuda al poema bilingüe, a la película en sus muchas interpretaciones diferentes.’ Christian Pacheco-Cámara (Dr Chris Patch), Director de FOTOGENIA Festival de Cine
‘I am truly honoured and excited that my work has caught your attention to inspire the filmmakers and poets participating in the ekphrastic poetry film prize. I am delighted that my painting will be a part of this exciting event and I look forward to seeing how the filmmakers and poets interpret and respond to it in their work… the films are so amazing and it has been so meaningful to me.’ Painter, Ana Segovia
‘Me siento sinceramente honrada y emocionada por que mi trabajo haya captado vuestra atención para inspirar a los cineastas y poetas que participan en el premio de videopoemas ecfrásticos. Estoy encantada con el hecho de que mi cuadro vaya a formar parte de este estimulante evento, y estoy deseando ver cómo responden a él y lo interpretan los cineastas y poetas… las películas son asombrosas y ha sido muy valioso para mí.’ La pintora Ana Segovia
‘International, intermedia and Innovative; this collection shows a powerful way forward for transnational literary communication in the digital world. “Frame to Frames” lives up to its title by offering several approaches to artworks in all media and, potentially, in all languages. Looking becomes moving between; understanding is activated. It is, in creator Sarah Tremlett’s own words concerning spatial materiality, “a deep and endlessly inspiring place”.’ Dr Penny Florence, Professor Emerita, The Slade School of Fine Art, UCL
‘Internacional, intermedia e innovadora: esta exposición señala un potente camino a seguir para la comunicación literaria transnacional en el mundo digital. “Frame to Frames” hace honor a su nombre, ofreciendo diversos enfoques hacia obras de arte a través de cualquier medio y potencialmente en todos los idiomas. El mirar se convierte en moverse entremedias, la comprensión se activa. Es, según las palabras de la creadora Sarah Tremlett acerca de la materialidad espacial “un lugar profundo y de inspiración inagotable”.’ Dra. Penny Florence, Proferosa Emérita de la Escuala Slade de Bellas Artes, UCL
CONTENT
The bilingual book with film link provides a poetry reading process across both translation (verbal and visual) and transmedia and
- gives a fascinating insight into how the same painting produces so many different intrepretations
- shows how a poem alters between the page and screen, and how they can be compared with ease.
- illustrates how each poetry filmmaker in the project approached the subject in a unique way, whether working totally alone as an author filmmaker, or in collaboration as poet and filmmaker, or as an artist responding to another’s work.