Cinematographic poetry

École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales

My project will examine the relation between two forms of creation: Cinema and Poetry. Since the invention of cinema the possible correlation between cinema and literature has been a complex field. The relations between the seventh art and poetry are certainly the rarest. Poetry is also absent in classifications of film, except in experimental cinema. For example, a poem of Robert Desnos inspired Man Ray's characters and the scenario in L'étoile de mer. The biopics of real or imaginary poets (Jane Campion's Bright Star, Paradjanov's Sayat Nova, Couleur de la grenade, Peter Weir's Dead Poets Society) give cinema the possibility to create characters and narrative elements which the poem, in particular the contemporary poem rebelling against narration rarely bears. Certain cineastes like Pasolini, Ruiz, Godard and Paradjanov are poets as well or creating a cinema which integrates poetry by citations, adaptations etc. Certain phrases like camera poet, cinematic poet, poet of documentary are recurring. Why are the filmmakers not able to do what the poets can do? I will focus on the work of the Russian formalists, on some of the thought of Roland Barthes as well as Gérard Genette. Pasolini's theory about the poetry of film will occupy the main part of my work.

Elmira Lame is a Master’s student at L’EHESS (Paris). She received her Bachelor degree in Cinema in the faculty of Dramatic Arts from the Art University of Teheran.