Four Haikus (2024)

The Voyage of Bashô

A fictionalised documentary about the great Japanese poet Bashô (1644–1694), the spiritual father of haiku poetry. A monk, portraying the poet, journeys through Japan, following Bashô's journal and writing many of his haikus. A ruminant, poetic, Zen Buddhist observation of nature – a return to the lost paradise of unspoilt nature.

Lacuna

The portrait of two young women – a loving team that complements each other with all their habits and rituals like two puzzle pieces. This is a declaration of love of a couple – a snapshot of their present and a speculation about our future, because what could happen if a piece of the puzzle is suddenly taken away?

Our Music

A three-chapter (Hell, Purgatory and Paradise) meditation on the city of Sarajevo in the wake of the Bosnian war, on Palestine and Israel, and on war itself.

July Dust

“Poussières de Juillet”, produced in 1967 by Hachemi El-Chérif, is taken from a poem by Kateb Yacine. "We made a film on the return of the ashes of Emir Abdelkader, to Algeria. It was the opportunity to make a film on the ancestors with M'hamed Issiakhem. He designed glass plates on the basis of my texts. Then we had actors collaborate. It was a film which cost us a total of 300 dinars, proof that we could do work for television without too much money. We won two first international prizes at the Belgrade festival. We left the original of the film with the Egyptians in Alexandria and they lost it. We kept a copy but over time I wonder what happened to it, because there is no not even had a screening, they say it still exists, but I don't know in what state." Kateb Yacine, July 28, 1986, interview with Arlette Casas.

Dichterbij

Hilmano van Velzen, the "Homeless Poet" wants nothing more than to become famous with his poetry. But his addiction and character get in the way.

A Child's Garden of Poetry

Poems by some of the greatest writers of all time are brought to life through lyrical animation and readings by some of today’s most respected performers.

A Farra do Circo

This documentary highlights the evolution of Brazil's Circo Voador venue from homespun artists' performance space to national cultural institution.

Wit

A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love

Tara and Maya are two inseparable friends in India. Their tastes, habits, and hobbies are the same. Years later, the two have matured, but have maintained their friendship. Tara gets married to the local prince, Raj Singh, who soon succeeds the throne as the sole heir. After the marriage, Raj gets bored of Tara and starts seeking another female to satisfy his sexual needs. He notices Maya and is instantly attracted to her. He has her included as one of his courtesans, and is intimate with her. Watch what happens when Tara finds out and the extent she will go to keep her marriage intact.

Poets Against the Bomb

An event organised by CND pits the bomb against poetry. Hear artists who hoped that words and rhymes could put an end to destructive times.

Mio on the Shore

Mio is 20 years old. Having lost her parents early, she and her grandmother run a traditional inn in Nagano. However, her grandmother gets sick. Mio moves to Tokyo and lives with her father’s best friend, Kyosuke. He runs a public bath. She begins to work at the public bath, but it is scheduled to be demolished to make way for redevelopment.

Lejano Interior

A "cinematic object" by Mariano Llinás, divided into 9 chapters, based on the poetry of Henri Michaux.

Spellbound

Wingsuit BASE jumping is often presented as a thrill seeking adrenaline rush. Spellbound takes us deeper into the more contemplative aspects of jumping, as David Walden and friends venture into the mountains around his home in New Zealand. Beautiful scenery and hypnotic cinematography eject us from our daily lives into a world of air, earth and flight.

Uxío Novoneyra: Poeta/Alén

This documentary shows the life and work of the Galician poet from O Courel, Uxío Novoneyra, from a double perspective: the intimate and familiar analysis of his work, both poetic and artistic, and that of his ideological commitment, and a reinterpretation of a selection of his poems for signify the living mode of his verses. The documentary is directed by one of his sons, Uxío Novo Rey, and different artists, biographers, politicians and neighbors collaborate in it, showing the different aspects of the poet, from his origins, the life of the Courel, the Brais Pinto group, the thought politics and even the Galician language. The story establishes a parallelism with the most outstanding events that have occurred in Galicia and in the world in the second half of the 20th century and how the poet was affected by these events.

The Doors

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.

Chubai. Speaking Again

A theatrical documentary about Hrytsko Chubai, a genius of Ukrainian poetry, a connoisseur of literature, art and music and the brightest representative of Lviv underground culture of late 60s early 70s.

Películas

Películas is the name of a poetry book by Luís Miguel Nava, a homosexual poet, born in Viseu, who died in Brussels and whose magnificent poetic work remains widely unknown. Drawn from the filmmaker’s family super8 film archive, and excerpts from the film Un chant d'amour, by Jean Genet, the film builds a “body” marked by memories, by various skins, by Nava's films, by his poems and by its landscapes.

Guys Reading Poems

A resourceful boy creatively uses poetry to survive when his mother, a disturbed avant garde painter, locks him in a puppet box and builds an art installation around his imprisonment.

My Neighbors the Yamadas

The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

The Last Dragon

Video poem based on The Last Dragon by Radu Stanca.

Fishing and Fishermen's Conversations

A nobleman poet embarks on boat trip with two local fishermen. As they hop the bucolic islands he recalls his youthful tragic love, his artistic impotence and uneasy relationship with common fishermen.

Do Útero Ao Túmulo

Plot unavailable

Alternate Spaces

A short documentary on the River Ouse, following it downstream from Lewes to Newhaven, meditating on the surrounding area.

How the Moon Conquered Pop

Musicians inspired by the Moon. Since the Apollo landings, the Moon has entered popular consciousness like never before. A journey through pop music's lunar obsession.

Mah e Mir

A modern poet Jamal who is against the traditional Urdu Poetry reads the biography of Mir Taqi Mir,one of the greatest poets of the 18th century. And sees Mir's reflection on his personality.

After So Long

“After So Long // बरसों बाद” is a visual poetry set in Mumbai (India) and voiced by Simha and their parents to symbolise their connection with each other; a walkabout through time and memories. Directed by Varsha Panikar, the film takes inspiration from vintage-home-movie culture to create a contemplative and nostalgic vignette of an artist’s spiritual journey out of the darkness and into the light.

Tales of the Deity's Lover

Various clips of jellyfish accompanied by the narration of two poems concerning a deity's lover.

World's Greatest Dad

In the wake of a freak accident, Lance suffers the worst tragedy and the greatest opportunity of his life. He is suddenly faced with the possibility of fame, fortune and popularity, if he can only live with the knowledge of how he got there.