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Poetry Reading (12)
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Aloud/BagatelleDonald McWilliams 1983 6 minCanadian poet Earle Birney indulges his love of trains in this performance of his sound poem To Swindon from London by Britrail. In fluent "trainish," he interprets the experience of excursions by rail. Imagination sparked by the rhythm of wheels and the clink of couplings, Birney hums, hisses and hoots his way through archival footage of vintage trains and the English countryside. A must for language, animation and train buffs. -
Alden Nowlan: An IntroductionJon Pedersen 1984 28 minThis short documentary introduces us to Alden Nowlan, winner of Canada’s 1967 Governor General’s Award for poetry. His empathy for ordinary people was evident in his work as a poet, journalist, short-story writer, novelist and playwright. Nowlan’s writing is admired far beyond his native Maritimes, but he never forgot his roots, which he drew on for inspiration. This film, shot just before his death in 1983, records him reminiscing and reading from his work.
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Autobiographical by A.M. KleinRichard Notkin 1965 10 minA poet's view of Montréal, as revealed in the rich imagery of his verse. From Klein's poetry this film reveals what he saw and valued, and so presents a many-sided vignette of the old Montréal and the Jewish community he knew as a boy. The poems are read by Alexander Scourby.
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F.R. Scott: Rhyme and ReasonDonald Winkler 1982 57 minThis feature documentary looks at the multi-faceted career of F.R. Scott (1899-1985), a Canadian poet, thinker and constitutional expert whose work and vision of social justice spanned and influenced an entire era. The film looks at Scott's role in the founding of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Party in the 1930s, his years as a teacher of constitutional law, as a modernist poet, and as a champion of civil liberties. Highlights include Scott's courtroom challenges of the Duplessis regime in the 1950s, his controversial support of the War Measures Act during the 1970 October Crisis in Québec, and readings from his poetry.
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The Hangman at HomeMichelle Kranot & Uri Kranot 2021 14 minThe animated film invites you into five interwoven stories featuring people caught in a pivotal moment: they are fragile, playful, terrified, contemplative, confused, curious. We watch their intimate deeds in a reflective state, and they gaze back, transforming us from spectators to witnesses. The film is not about hanging people, but about the awkward intimacy that comes with being human, and the connection between spectator, witness, and accomplice. The Hangman at Home reveals that we are all alike in these moments, while also raising questions of responsibility.
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Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard CohenDonald Brittain & Don Owen 1965 44 minThis informal black-and-white portrait of Leonard Cohen shows him at age 30 on a visit to his hometown of Montreal, where the poet, novelist and songwriter comes "to renew his neurotic affiliations." He reads his poetry to an enthusiastic crowd, strolls the streets of the city, relaxes in this three-dollar-a-night hotel room and even takes a bath.
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Morning on the LièvreDavid Bairstow 1961 13 minThis short film offers a picturesque tour through the maple-wooded hills alongside Québec's Lièvre River in autumn to the accompaniment of acclaimed poet Archibald Lampman’s poems including Morning on the Lièvre. Trees are ablaze with colour, and their splendor is reflected in the mirrored surfaces of the water, offering a glimpse of the landscape Lampman knew so well through the poet’s eyes and words. Lampman’s poem is read by broadcaster and poet George Whalley, with accompanying score by composer Eldon Rathburn.
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Poets on Film No. 2Janet Perlman , Joyce Borenstein , … 1977 7 minThis short film brings together animated interpretations of 4 poems by great Canadian wordsmiths: “From the Hazel Bough” by Earle Birney, “Travellers Palm” by P.K. Page, “Death by Streetcar” by Raymond Souster, and “A Said Poem” by John Robert Colombo.
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Poets on Film No. 1Bozenna Heczko , Elizabeth Lewis , … 1977 8 minThis short film brings together animated interpretations of four poems by great Canadian wordsmiths: "Riverdale Lion" by John Robert Colombo, "A Kite Is a Victim" by Leonard Cohen, "Klaxon" by James Reaney and George Johnston’s "The Bulge."
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Poets on Film No. 3Robert Doucet & Françoise Hartmann 1977 6 minThis short film brings together animated interpretations of 2 poems by great Canadian wordsmiths: “Perishing Bird” by D.G. Jones, and “Mon école” by Sylvain Garneau.
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PoenJosef Reeve 1967 4 minThis short film features 4 readings of a prose poem from Leonard Cohen’s novel Beautiful Losers. Read by Cohen himself, the poem produces a distinct emotional effect every time it is read, following the poet’s rendition and accompanying visuals.
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Trawna Tuh BelvulMartin Rose 1994 14 minThis animated short film is an interpretation of Earle Birney's poem “Trawna Tuh Belvul by Knayjim Psifik.” Using finely crafted cut-out animation, the film retells a memorable experience of the journey from Toronto to Belleville, Ontario.
