Rattapallax DVD (issue 14) is a fusion between contemporary writing and film. Featured in the DVD are films and audio works by Abbas Kiarostami, Takeshi Kitano, Joyce Carol Oates, Ishle Park, Paul Bowles, Sherman Alexie, Elvira Hernandez, Fabrício Carpinejar, Anne Waldman, Martín Espada, Arnaldo Antunes and many others. Buy for ONLY $6!

"This innovative new DVD-only version of the previous print-based journal (launched in 1999) loudly proclaims its unique presence by showcasing audio poetry, film, and animation, forming a veritable "fusion between contemporary writing and film." The reviewed issue contains notable creations by filmmaker Takeshi Kitano and animators Ruth Lingford and Sandra del Rosario, as well as poets Sean M. Whelan, Brendan Lorber, and Ishle Yi Park. Publisher Devineni clearly deserves credit for helping to decouple literature from a one-dimensional print-based existence, and his innovative publication belongs in most public and academic libraries." -- Library Journal Book Review

DVD shown at the Zebra Film Awards, Berlin & Potenza Film Festival, ItalY. The DVD is sold at St. Mark's Bookshop, 31 Third Ave., NYC (near Astor Place).

Download the teachers guide to the DVD (word doc).

Forest Without Leaves. In spring 2005 filmmaker and artist Abbas Kiarostami presented his installation Forest Without Leaves at the V&A museum in London. His interest in people's response to his work led to this short film with Daniel Mitelpunkt. Abbas Kiarostami is considered the most influential and controversial post-revolutionary Iranian filmmaker. He won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival for Taste of Cherry.

Isaiah's Rap. A 14-year-old musician and poet responds to the attack on his TriBeCa neighborhood. Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have received two Academy Awards, multiple Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards and a Guggenheim Fellowship for many films including Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt and The Times of Harvey Milk.

From the AIC Film School in Brazil comes 7 Grilos/ 2 Cachorros (7 Crickets/ 2 Dogs) by Roberto Andreolli. (English subtitles)

Colors in the Mechanism of Concealment is a stinging film on the U.S. imprisonment at Guantanamo Prison by Anne Waldman and Ed Bowes.

Baptism of Solitude: A Tribute to Paul Bowles is a spoken word piece written and narrated by the legendary writer/composer Paul Bowles. The film combines real life photography of Bowles and cutting edge, elaborate animation. The film aired on Independent Film Channel and at the Tribeca Film Festival and directed by New York City filmmaker Tonya Hurley.

49: This short was written by and stars Sherman Alexie explores the Indian Musical Style known as a “49”. The film screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and Seattle International Film Festival.

Casagrande bombing: as a counter reaction to the bombing of the Presidential Palace by Pinochet, a poetry guerellia organization called Casagrande dropped 100,000 poetry bookmarks over the Palace from a helicopter on March 23, 2001. The bookmarks twirled in circles and rained on the 10,000 spectactors who came to witness the spectacle.

Brutual Murder of a Poet: Jacques Roche is told through an audio story reported on NPR's On the Media and is accompanied by photos and newspaper clippings about the popular Haitian journalist and poet Jacques Roche who was kidnapped and killed in July 2005.

Joyce Carol Oates extraordinary reading at the United Nations, NYC in 2001.

Selections of poetry films from Arnaldo Antunes is widely known as a musician (from 1982-1992 he was part of Titãs, one of Brazilian most beloved rock bands, and now works solo). His works of poetry include 2 ou + corpos no mesmo espaço (Persectiva, 1997, with CD) and Nome (BMG, 1993, plus video and CD).

Special Focus: Zebra Poetry Film Festival

A showcase of some of the films from the leading international poetry film festival based in Berlin. Included are the winners from the competition. Love is the law by Eivind Tolas. The film is based on a text written and performed by the Norwegian stunt poet and musician, Ole Mads Vevle. His subjective and, at times, pornographic interpretation the Christian message of love, has the form of a news program. The film has won several international awards, including two first prizes from the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, 2003. Other films include The Old Fools by Ruth Lingford based on a poem by Philip Larkin; Nummer twee written and directed by Guido van der Werve; and L.City by Sandro del Rosario. [ more info ]

Rattapallax was launched at the Zebra Poetry Film Festival in Berlin from October 11-14, 2006. A selection of past winners from the Zebra Poetry Film Festival is included on the DVD. Additionally, an innovative new series, AIC-Rattapallax Salon, fusing renowned poets and writers with award-winning short films from international film festival will be at the Jonathan Shorr Gallery in SoHo, NYC. Read the Press Release

The first english translations of Japanese film-maker Takeshi "Beat" Kitano's twisted fairy tales. Translated by Sawako Nakayasu (winner of the PEN Translation award) and read by spoken-word poet Patrick Rosal. Kitano made several pivotal violent films about renegade cops and Japanese gangsters (Yakuza), but started acting as a comedian on TV. He acted in the underground cult-classic, Battle Royale, and directed Hana-bi, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

New recordings by spoken-word poets Ishle Parks, Patrick Rosal, Sean M. Whelan & Regie Cabico. A short story read by Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry.

First Draft Project: See on the screen the first draft of their poem and listen to the final version from poets Edward Hirsch, Meena Alexander & Brendan Lorber. Also, included are commentaries on the the second audio track explaining the poem.

Poetry readings by Martín Espada from the Centenary of Neruda, Chilean poet Elvira Hernandez and Brazilian poet Fabricio Carpinejar (translations by Johnny Lorenz).

Cover image designed by Abe Lincoln, Jr.