..was the theme of this year’s Printers’ Ball. To illustrate just one of the myriad ways that this love can be expressed, Switchback Books teamed up with a bunch of independent filmmakers to create a bunch of short films interpreting poems from books in the Switchback catalog, including Oneiromance (an epithalamion), interpreted brilliantly by one Chris Weiher. You can see it here: Epithalamion.
Per Chris: “Christopher Weiher was once a one-man filmmaking machine. Now he’s a one-man filmmaking collaborator (because he has friends who occasionally offer to help him make his films). His personal work has been seen at film festivals including Chicago REEL Shorts Festival, London Independent Film Festival, The Indie Gathering and San Francisco Shorts Film Festival as well as the Internet. Sometimes, Chris’ films include some blood or excessive swearing.
“This is not the case with Epithalamion. Inspired by the poem “Epilogue: Epithalamion” by Kathleen Rooney, from her book Oneiromance (an epithalamion), the film seeks to capture the feelings of the poem as simple, surreal and sweet imagery. The film features Chris Weiher and Kristi Zimmerman and features music by renowned electronic recording artist and physicist, Abulafia.
Also, in case you are curious, here’s the full text of the poem itself, as it originally appeared in Court Green, and then in the book from Switchback:
EPILOGUE: EPITHALAMION
Sing it for the bride on her way to the chamber.
Set it to the tune of “How Great Thou Art.”
Year of goodness, year of grace—
when love came to release me
from the burden of myself.
You’ll ask a million times if I really love you
& each time I reply, the answer will be true.
Sense of wellness, sense of place—
you make your Husband Face.
I scarce can take it in.
Thanks to Chris and Kristi for the filmic stylings!