Ecopoetry & Subjectivity: discussion with Ian Gibbins and Mary McDonald REELpoetry 23

REELpoetry 2023 is upcoming at the end of the month – February 25th and 26th – with a wide selection of poets and filmmakers and strongly inclusive of the deaf and hard of hearing. In relation to the devastating effects of climate change, Ian Gibbins, Mary McDonald and myself are presenting a documentary discussion on Ecopoetry Films and Subjectivity on Sunday 26th. See TRAILER above.

I first presented at REELpoetry just before Lockdown in 2020, with UPROOTED curation, with films on the refugee crisis. It was memorable in that Fran organised a reading by a number of Houston-based poets interwoven with the screening which prompted a great discussion. Since then I have been involved in the organisation / judging every year, and this year I was fortunate to be one of the judges of the exciting and innovative open competition with festival director Fran Sanders and Australian filmmaker Ian Gibbins. Look out for that and the talented winners!
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Curators and presenters include: Laura Bianco (Italy), Helen Dewbery (England), Colm Scully (Ireland), Eleanor Livingstone (Scotland), Sabina England, Aarron Loggins, Jonathan Lamy (Canada), Rachel McCrum (Canada), Crom Saunders, Peter Cook, Douglas Ridloff, Estefania Diaz (Mexico), Pamela Falkenberg (USA) and Jack Cochran (USA), Ian Gibbins (Australia), Mary McDonald (Canada) and myself Sarah Tremlett (England).

Coming from three different parts of the world our discussion was a salutary lesson in the geopolitics of catastrophe poetry film and how we are addressing the news we hear every day. Also how we want to share our feelings on the subject. I have to say this was a really revealing discussion, particularly for me, as Mary and Ian had some really perceptive things to say about my work, and I seldom have such great one-to-one comments made. Mary’s films are Wishing Well (poet Penn Kemp) and Utility Pole (poet Fiona Tinwei Lam); Ian’s floodtide, and colony collapse, and mine I Cannot be Human, and Villanelle for Elizabeth not Ophelia.