A Poet’s Childhood - Awakening to Consciousness

Directed by Vibhas P A Kendzia and Elizabeth Martina Bishop

Reviewed by Sabarno Sinha

    It is perhaps on the rarest of occasions that a film reviewer gets  the fortune of watching poetry in film, something that he finds lacking  in a lot of movies and I am quite honored to have got the rare  opportunity to review Bishop and Kendzia’s latest production, A Poet’s Childhood: Awakening to Consciousness.  The 24-minute short is an interview of the novelist, poet and  academician Elizabeth Martina Bishop, an American-born lady who has  written poetry since her childhood and currently resides in Dublin,  Ireland. She recently completed her MFA from the prestigious Trinity  College and the short film is an interview of this charming and  profoundly poetic soul who has led her entire life immersed in the arts.  The short begins with stock footage of night-time at Dublin which  resonates the beauty that one can effortlessly perceive in the film.  

    Bishop has penned over 70 books and many of those are novels. For her,  the art of novel-writing is not so much as creating a different world  but rather extending an ongoing or past conversation in paper. Such  qualities make her books gripping and relatable, undoubtedly.  Bishop had an exceptional childhood, to say the least. At the age of 5,  she had to sign a contract which stated that she would be leaving her  childhood home to stay with someone else. This ‘someone else’ turned out  to be none other than the famous Hollywood actress Jane Wyatt’s mother.  The eccentric woman led a life revolving around Shakespeare parties,  balls and a world that was reminiscent of Regency-era England. Bishop  remembers that she had to keep this entire affair a secret at school as  nobody was supposed to know about their identity. Thus, when she tried  writing about Jane and her mother for her school magazine, they stopped  her from doing so and discouraged her from writing. This had been one of  the two reasons why she couldn’t write for a very long time. Elizabeth  had also suffered from dyslexia in her childhood. She read and wrote  backwards and during her time, teachers weren’t sensitive to such  psychological disorders and simply thought that the students weren’t  putting in a lot of effort. Being an introverted child, she didn’t trust  a lot of people and every time she gave them a chance, she was simply  let down by others. This theme of mistrust and breach of trust resounds  in her poetry and I too could feel while watching and listening to her  reading out some of her poems, especially “Anna”, that she had not been  able to come out of those nightmarish times and her only vent was  poetry.  

   The short film takes the form of an interview, in which memories of  childhood are interspersed with poems that she wrote about that time.  The choice of poems is nuanced and listening to Elizabeth read out her  poetry, her emotions resurfacing as she read, was an extremely emotional  experience for me. The only thing that would have made the entire scene  truly evocative are good visuals. If the directors decided to present  some photographs of Bishop as a child or other stock footage related to  childhood, seasons and other things that Elizabeth talks about in her  poetry, the entire sequence would have been a visual treat alongside an  aural one. It would help the ordinary un-poetic viewer picture what  Elizabeth wanted them to imagine and experience when she declaimed the  beautiful lines from her poems. Even though the natural ambient sounds  are quite good, some sound effects would also have made the experience  of listening to her poetry even more profound and memorable. Being a  poet and student of literature myself, I could visualize her poetry well  but I am not so sure whether others would be able to do so without  certain aids. The quality of editing in the film has not been up to the  mark. Elizabeth’s voice is mellifluous and jarring cuts and shots of 2-3  seconds in between longer ones only mar the experience of watching her  speak. Instead, subtler cuts, longer shots and transitions such as fade  and dissolve could have been used to make the editing better. The lack  of uniform transitions was also unpleasant to the eye. Yet, for me,  Elizabeth’s poetry surmounts all of this and envelops the entire film  with warmth, hope and profundity and turns A Poet’s Childhood to an indelible experience. 

ABOUT REVIEWER:

    Sabarno Sinha is an undergraduate student of English at  Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He was active in the debating and MUN  circuit in Kolkata. Sabarno frequently writes short stories, poems and  screenplays for short films. A lover of world cinema, Sabarno finds  pleasure in watching contemporary as well as classic films from Japan,  Italy and Germany among others. 

 LINK: https://www.hlc-cultcritic.com/a-poets-childhood/

 A Poet’s Childhood: Awakening to Consciousness

Directed by Vibhas P A Kendzia and Elizabeth Martina Bishop

Reviewed by Mary Anne Lisney, retired radio producer, broadcaster, Arts and Entertainment editor, and Book Reviewer

    Suspend disbelief and fire your imagination with the haunting and sometimes disturbing poetry of this mystic poet, Elizabeth Martina Bishop. This sampler of poems, accompanied by meditative music, immerses you in a world of etherial images that continue to resonate long after reading or hearing these poems. Hearing the poet recite them touches a place that opens to a sense of wonder about what is meant, a curiosity is evoked and if you read the poetry and also listen deeply, you will arrive at an emotional destination that is unexpected. 

     Elizabeth Martina Bishop is not an ordinary storyteller, author, poet. Her work has been highly regarded for many years and her experiences worldwide, amongst people of different ethnic groups is sweeping.  Her background is unusual, and in this 70 minute film documentary she is interviewed in Ireland, at Trinity College where days before she had achieved a Doctorate from Carlow University, one of many scholarly achievements.  She tells us that she knew she was a poet when she was just a child living with the mother of the movie star, Jane Wyatt.  When just 7 years old, she was placed in the  home as the result of a contract she signed with her mother.  She tells of some humorous times with the lady of the house, who seemed authoritarian and aloof as the story goes. 

     The interview is personable and warm, and gives us insights into this prolific author of 70 books. She recites her first poem and it is charming, written when a very young girl. She takes you to places of sanctity and mystery in the little books of poetry and music in the documentary.  Moon Drenched Mountain, Pagoda Music, Poems for the Gray Wolf, and Mystic Meditation to name just a few.  As I said in beginning this review,  don’t expect the usual, suspend disbelief and listen deeply, read with your heart, immerse yourself in a non-linear world of inspiration, and discover the poetry of Elizabeth Martina Bishop.  70 Min.

Available at AMAZON.COM    Website: http://elizabethmartinabishop.net

A Poet’s Childhood: Awakening to Consciousness

Directed by Vibhas P A Kendzia and Elizabeth Martina Bishop

Reviewed by Reviewed by Cookie Cranston

     Born a poet! Elizabeth Martina Bishop captures the essence of her own fascinating and poetic life in this captivating film interview and reflection. In her own intriguing words and mesmerizing voice, she reveals the heartaches and darkness of an anything-but-normal childhood. But at the same time describes an almost enchanting, fairytale journey of a born-to-be, learned, renowned poet and author.

     She describes the many challenges, including difficulty reading and writing as a child, often discouraged and forbidden by parental figures to write at all, including the betrayal by other important adult figures. None of which dampened her spirit or passion to write; she persisted. And this film deftly portrays her persistence and immersion in her writing, education and her career. She embodies the vivacity of a talented, committed professional willing to inspire and educate other writers along the way.

     The content of the film reinforces that being a poet is not just an art, but a calling and lifestyle. As a charming, prolific writer and author of poetry and other genres, she reflects the very soul of cultures where she has visited, studied, taught and lived, embracing their people, and their stories. Most of which has become the very rhythm and source of not only her poetry, but also the connection to her relationship and recognition of the rhythm of the earth itself.

Available at AMAZON.COM    Website: http://elizabethmartinabishop.net

A Poet’s Childhood: Awakening to Consciousness

Directed by Vibhas P A Kendzia and Elizabeth Martina Bishop

Reviewed by Reviewed by Cookie Cranston

Dear Elizabeth and Vibhas,

     Thank you for submitting to BELIFF 2021. We confirm your film has now been watched. This does NOT mean your film has been selected YET as films are still coming in; the official selection will be announced June 2021, once all films have been viewed.

     "A Poet's Childhood" is a featurette documentary film bringing light and focus on the creative process and life of Elizabeth Martina Bishop. As her unique approach to poems and philosophy is closely linked to her life and unique childhood, a glimpse into her life journey give further meaning and depth to her artistic legacy. 

On behalf of our Judging Team,

Ioana Douglas

Available at AMAZON.COM    Website: http://elizabethmartinabishop.net