~ Poet: Wislawa Szymborska ~

Rozmowa z Kamieniem / Conversation with a Stone by Wisława Szymborska

On 21 September, 2016 by Dave Bonta with 0 Comments - Videopoems
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Szymborska’s most widely anthologized poem in a film interpretation by Pat van Boeckel, using footage shot on Sado Island, Japan, including (at the very end) a sculpture by Karin van der Molen. The usual English translation by Stanizław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh from View With a Grain of Sand is given as onscreen text, with the poet’s own recitation in the soundtrack. I suppose some might find the images of an abandoned Buddhist temple a bit too obvious here (“great empty halls”, “two thousand years”), but I thought they made a perfect fit. The music is by Max Richter — the very same track van Boeckel used more recently for the documentation of his Rilke-inspired video installation.

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Kot w pustym mieszkaniu / Cat in an Empty Apartment by Wisława Szymborska

On 4 June, 2012 by Dave Bonta with 0 Comments - Miscellaneous, Videopoems
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Another selection from the performance “Nothing Twice” (Live Performers Meeting, Rome, May 2012) directed by Agnieszka “Bronka” Bronowska. The translation is credited to Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh and the performers are Joanna Łacheta and Lulu Lucyfer.

Wszelki wypadek / Could Have by Wisława Szymborska

On 24 May, 2012 by Dave Bonta with 0 Comments - Miscellaneous, Videopoems
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Be sure to expand this to full-screen. It’s one of several videos of Szymborska poems directed by Agnieszka Bronowska featuring Polish sign language performers, all from a longer presentation called “Nothing Twice.” I’m not entirely sure I understand the relationship between the video and the live performance, but here are the complete notes from Vimeo:

A part of the performance “Nothing Twice” (to be premiered during Live Performers Meeting in Rome, May 2012).

Directed by: Agnieszka “Bronka” Bronowska

Music: Dave Evans

Video and visual effects: Agnieszka Bronowska

Performers (video): Joanna Łacheta (feat. Sandeep Patil, Senbo Xiao, Dave Evans, Jozef Ivanecky, Johannes Wagner, Jing Zhou, Ilona Baldus, and Wolfgang Müller)

Performers (live): Agata Jurkiewicz, Agnieszka Bronowka, VJ Emiko, and Dave Evans

Piano and sound engineering: Dave Evans

Vocals (spoken word): Agnieszka Bronowska

The poem (“Wszelki wypadek” by Wisława Szymborska) was translated into English by Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh.

Credits: Thanks to Joanna Łacheta, Bartosz Marganiec, and Foundation for the Promotion of Deaf Culture “KOKON” for a great meritoric support and assistance in Polish Sign Language interpretation of Wisława Szymborskaʼs poetry.

Advertisement by Wislawa Szymborska

On 22 October, 2009 by Dave Bonta with 0 Comments - Animation
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A poem by Wislawa Szymborska, translated by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak; the animation here is by Nicholas Lawrence.