Poets (2002)

Poets is essentially a travelogue of the British Isles, juxtaposed with an anthology of classical and contemporary verse, macro-cosmic in scope, microcosmic in its singular intensity. In this sense it is merely a travelogue, yet there is so much more, spanning from the traditional to the avant-garde, from the sublime to the ridiculous, very different, highly original and with a unique zeitgeist narrative structure. Poets concentrates on locations and issues within the UK and in an oblique way referencing poetry to the topography, at first seemingly random and esoterical, slowly and ultimately questioning the very nature of our British culture and heritage. The film is shot in multiple formats from 35mm (the majority) to the newer digital format of Digi-beta, with a short, eerily beautiful dream segment shot in Super-8. Obviously a socialist commentary, Poets is in turn informative, witty and thought-provoking. An observation and reflection on contemporary life in the UK from a director with unique eclectic vision, a poetical attempt at defining what it is to live in this country.