Three Poems Three Films

Posted by Ash Haywood in Creative Writing, Film

The Freedom of Possibility

Feb. 16 marked the first meeting of the spring semester for Three Poems Three Films, a collective composed of current students and alumni of the film and creative writing departments at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. The meeting took place at the Art Barn, a local residence of Santa Fe artists including senior film major Freedom Hopkins, and creative writing alumni Arianna Lombardi. Hopkins, the chief proponent in the creation of the Three Poems Three Films, led the meeting to orient group members on the culture of the collective and reflect on last year’s workflow.

Some members of Three Poems Three Film met to discuss this years screening event. From Left: JJ Khateeb, Michael Wilson, Jessica O’Brien, and Freedom Hopkins.

“We worked hand in hand,” Freedom reminded the poets and filmmakers sitting in the living room that is frequently used to project films on the large white walls, “There were struggles in finding a middle ground between us, but this is why it turned out so well. This is how it lives.”

The collective operates by pairing one poet and one filmmaker, usually by a random drawing or automatically if they are lovers because, as Hopkins explains, “it’s all about the love.”  The poets create an original poem to hand over to the filmmakers who produce a short film based on their own interpretations of it. “This process is symbiotic. It is about how you want to be apart of it and making that be enough,” explains Hopkins.

The mission of the collective is to unite the visuals of poetry with the possibilities in film production to culminate in an event at The Screen in April, a visual discourse of the two mediums presented to the public. Alongside the showing there will also be a month long exhibition of the original poems and photographs of the collaborators in the theatre lobby.

“This year it looks like there will be more variety in genre. Last year the work was very somber. Very dark tones. However this year people have a better sense of humor.” Freedom laughs and continues, “Brighter colors come to mind when I think of who we’ve got on board.”

Creative Writing major Jessica O’Brien shrugged off any uneasiness about handing her poem over to a filmmaker. “I’m excited, just take it,” she said in anticipation of her own collaboration. JJ Khateeb, a senior film major described his involvement as an opportunity to create “something of who I am, not just for a class.” Moments later, Hopkins flipped a coin to pair Khateeb with writer Michael Wilson, a 2004 graduate of College of Santa Fe’s Creative Writing Department who has since earned an MFA from the New School in New York.

Other members of the collective who were not present for the meeting include Junior Brian Soloman; filmmaker, Junior Bailey Schaumburg; poet, as well as sophomore Addie Backus-Pace; filmmaker, and writer Arianna Lombardi.

For more information contact threepoemsthreefilms@gmail.com.

Stay tuned with Jackalope Magazine for updates about the collective and dates of the final screening in April.