What To Watch: Poetry & Cinema

Poetry, Poetry, Poetry. The first Thursday of October is the National Day of Poetry. For this reason, we decided to list some films that feel like poetry or refer to it.

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Dead Poets Society

John Keating ( played by Robin Williams ) is a progressive English teacher in an all-boys school. With the use of poetry, John tries to teach his students how to go against the norms and be in touch with their inner selves.

Available on Amazon Prime.

The Kindergarten Teacher

Lisa a Kindergadden teacher played (by Maggie Gyllenhaal ) is dissatisfied with her normal life. Having a distant dream of becoming a poet, everything changes once she meets young Jimmy who is a poet by heart.

Available on Mubi and Amazon Prime.

Mirror

Even though it doesn't address poetry directly, The Mirror is a film that feels like a poem. With a non-structured narrative, Tarkovsky creates a mist of memories, war, and flashbacks following the life of a dying man in his 40s.

This is definitely one of those films where the viewer can create their own plot and outcomes.

Available on Youtube.

Mulan

Mulan is another film that doesn't talk about poetry, however, its origins go back to a poem called "Balad of Mulan". Written during the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), both the film and the poem follow the journey of a young girl who went to war, to save her family's life.

Available on Disney Plus.

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