Iran

dollhouse by Shabnam Piryaei

It’s not often you see such roles as Key Grip, Script Supervisor and Gaffer in the credits of a poetry film! Even better, it still goes in the author-made videopoem category, as Iranian-American poet Shabnam Piryaei is credited as both writer and main director. According to the bio on her website, her print publication credits are as impressive as her film credits. It’s always heartening to see a poet working in film at such a high level of professional expertise.

I Will Greet The Sun Again by Forough Farrokhzad

Turkish filmmaker Candeniz Erun seems at home in multiple languages; the effect of the rapid-fire text in this video is mesmerizing. Forough Farrokhzād was one of the most influential female Iranian poets of the 20th century.

My Father’s Face by Ellie Shoja

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8_ZsGvlFq4

Cecille Sharuf directs, with videography by Denise McCanles. Sharuf’s note on YouTube includes contact information, and describes Ellie Shoja as “A young writer originally from Iran.” I found the text of the poem on Shoja’s website.

Peacock and Fish by Hafez

[myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44220432[/myspace]

An excerpt from the short film Tongue of the Hidden, directed by David Alexander Anderson with calligraphy, translation and narration by Jila Peacock and animation by Florian Guibert, assisted by Jerome Dernoncourt. See the film’s webpage for complete credits, stills, storyboard, and more.

The poet Hafez, also known as the Teller of Secrets, used the language of human love and the metaphors of wine and drunkenness to describe his desire for the Divine and intoxication with the mysteries of the Universe. [...]

Hand-drawn Farsi (Persian/Iranian) calligraphy is imported into the computer and forms the basis of constructed landscapes, and animals that move within landscapes. Software was Studio Max, Maya, XSI and After Effects.

According to a page on Jila Peacock’s website, “The film was premiered at the National Film Theatre in October 2007 as part of the London Film Festival and as part on Animate TV on C4 in December 2007.” See also the section of her site on her handmade artist’s book Ten Poems From Hafez.

These Spiritual Window Shoppers by Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Coleman Barks reads his translation. As usual with the YouTube videopoems from Four Seasons Productions, there aren’t any credits, so I don’t know who put this together.

“Look at her face…” Ghazal by Jalal ad-Din Rumi

This film-student production by Mark Pariselli features a simple yet ingenious solution to the problem of how to depict mystical consciousness. (Also, it includes footage of mating snails — always a plus in my book.) Read the ghazal here.

Those Who Don’t Feel This Love by Jalal ad-Din Rumi

An inspired choice of film footage to accompany Coleman’s Barks’ reading of his Rumi translation. My favorite of the three Rumi video poems from Four Seasons Productions on YouTube.