USA: Poetry: Philip Whalen and Gary Snyder

Richard O. Moore’s own poetic practice and literary training permeate his films, which bring the spectator into the poet’s world, each documentary an invitation to join the poet and her/his poetry. “A true pioneer of the cinema vérité movement,” according to poet and critic Garrett Caples, Richard O. Moore made films about poets and poetry which have become landmarks in the art of literary documentary. This contribution will attempt to look at Richard O. Moore’s style, the ways in which he stages the poet and poetry in his films, his own “poésie vérité” movement, i.e. both direct, following closely the poet, and leaving enough room for the poems to be heard in the films themselves.