Poetry Is Political

Sarah Maldoror celebrates the power of culture through her portraits of Haitian poet René Depestre, Colombian artist Ana Mercedes Hoyos and Martinican French author Aimé Césaire. France 1981. Director Sarah Maldoror. 5min. Video. With English subtitles France-Colombia 2008. Director Sarah Maldoror. 13min. Digital. With English subtitles France 2009. Director Sarah Maldoror. 58min. Digital. With English subtitles Total film programme running time 76min A sympathetic light is cast on poet and political activist René Depestre, an influential figure of Haitian literature. Through her portrait of visual artist Ana Mercedes Hoyos, Sarah Maldoror highlights the African roots of Colombian society in its relationship with slavery. Just after Aimé Césaire’s death, she returned to his home island of Martinique. There, she examines Césaire’s legacy through interviews with everyone from his secretary to people on the street, and employing excerpts from her previous documentaries on him. See other screenings of Poetry Is Political.