been sold to television in England and "Ifs been a real struggle financially," poets. What remains to be seen is film include Chris Terry, director, Fraser Germany. Mann said, "the economy is lousy. The whether or not the incredibly varied McAninch, producer and Derret Lee, Ron Mann's latest project, which has change in the tax law has made it even personal and artistic statements of publicist) taken over his kitchen table as well as more difficult and a lot of potential these artists can be edited into a cohe­ To get the project to the shooting the rest of his life, is a non-narrative, 90- investors can't recognize poetry as a sive, informative, and entertaining 90- stage took either a miracle of sheer minute documentary being shot under commercially viable subject. I've taken minute film. inventiveness, unmitigated gall or a the working title Poetry in Motion. out a bank loan to cover some of our im­ • combination of both. What little money Mann explained, "In Imagine the Sound, mediate costs. I'm determined to make Post-script: there was, went into striking an extra­ Cecil Taylor talks about how music is this film despite the obstacles because I Ratch Wallace has joined the crew as ordinary deal with Panavision for equip­ everything you do. In a similar manner believe in the artistic, historic, and production manager. The full ashtrays ment and buying up short ends of raw I'm trying in this film to show people political importance of documenting and half-full cups of cold coffee are still stock and 1/4 inch tape. There was no that poetry is everywhere. Ifs not dead, this art form." there, but the masses of paper have room for error with one-take-only allot­ boring, or static. Ifs very much alive, The principal photography was fin­ started to get sorted into neat piles and ted to most scenes. But Wertheimer and it has come to encompass various ished by the end of the year, while pick someone has even remembered to points to the record of waste and extra- other art forms from music and theatre up shooting in New York and San Fran­ water the plants. vagence that have recently marked the to dance and visual arts." cisco is expected to be over by the end of Camelia Frieberg • Canadian film industry's flirtation with investor support. In October Allen Ginsberg, backed by January. Editing, which may take four to POETRY IN MOTION p. Kon Mann d. a local rock band called the CeeDees, six months to complete, wdll take place Mann lLo.p. Robert Fresco consult Emile De "How many thousands of dollars have was filmed at a benefit concert /or in Toronto at Film House. Antonio sd. David Joliat ed. Peter Wintonicic poets: been wasted in discussion?" he de­ Amnesty International at University of There is no question that Ron Mann Jolin Cage, William Burroughs, Allan Ginsberg, mands. "And how many are shooting Irving Layton, John Giomo, Michael McClure, Phillip now ? How many cameras are rolling ?" Toronto's Trinity College. The interview will have managed to get historically Walen, Ann Waldman, John Cooper Clarke, Bob footage of a dark-suited Ginsberg shot in important footage of numerous major Woodward, Diane Prima. If the amount of thrift exercised on an empty locker room contrasts and the film is noteworthy, so is the loyalty complements his impassioned political director Sutherland has inspired among punk performance. Filmed in his house, his student crew. All who were intei^ Canadian poet Irving Layton, ensconsed viewed about his/her role on set were in an easy chair, reflects on the role -of enthusiastic about the knowledge gar^ the poet as social commentator and the nered from their experience. And as "religious metaphysical quality" of shooting progressed, more professionals' Canadian poetry. A group known as the were shoyving up on-set, some to watch, Toronto Street Poets are shot hustling others such as cinematographer Joe their books to pedestrians in the Yonge Seckeresh to donate something of their and Bloor area, while wearing sand­ own valuable expertise. wich boards exclaiming "Not Irving Although he has worked professional­ Layton," "No Name Poet," and "Extremely ly for a number of years, Sutherland is Unpopular Poet." John Giorno, founder meiking this film as a fourth year student and head of the New York-based Dial-a- of OCA. He freely admits that he does Poem Collective, was shot in perfor­ not think the head of the college has a mance at the Ritz in Manhattan, as was clear grasp of the scope of the project the grand old man himself, William S; that he (Sutljerland) has undertaken, Burroughs. Filmmaker Emile de Antonio but neither is there any financial sup­ conducted the interview footage with port from the college. The 'students are his long-time friend John Cage in Cage's all participating to help reaUze a dream, Sixth Avenue loft while he (Cage) was or as soine put it "... to help Joe out..." busy baking bread. Transportation manager Richard Quin- There is a spontaneous element in the land was mock-grateful for the difficul­ shooting of this film that could easily ties that had come up on the shoot for appear chaotic to conventional iilm- he gained experience from dealiiig vidth makens. Mann explained his most recent the real world, rather than the insular shoot with Canadian poet and musician academic environment. Ted Milton; "We went down to Innis Incredibly difficult as the shooting College to shoot in the auditorium, think­ schedule was, all of the students agreed ing that it would be empty. After a few cinematographer for the CBC ye^^s ago, with Quinland about the value of this minutes of shooting there was a crowd Freeloading 2ilthou^ he hastens to expb.ln that his practical experience. There are. those of two hundred students waiting out­ script is totally fictional, a not inap­ critics who vtrould argue that Sutherland side for a film class lecture to begin. So, propriate addendum as the story deals has scavenged the services of a group of with Professor Bart Testa's permission, Shooting on with "news as creative news." young people, who because of their lack they all filed in and got a great demon­ The budget is almost non-existant on of experience do not know better, but stration of spontaneous moviemaking." this film, with production manager Bob the loyalty he has inspired from them On December 27, Ron Mann, Gary a shoestring Wertheimer and other crew members does not appear to be the type that is Topp, and Gary Cormier, presented a scrounging about town for individuals easily shaken. And if the film makes it night of poetry performances in Toron­ The MTV studio on Toronto's Lakeshore willing to donate locations to the im­ throu^ post-production to distribution, to, with John Giomo, Anne Waldman, Boulevard is alive with activity. A lighting pecunious venture. The latter have in­ their until now naive faith will have Michael McClure, Robert Creeley, Jim man reposifions an unwieldy stand, the cluded Varsity Stadium, restaurants, the been amply justified. Carroll, Christopher Dewdney and Jayne sound man rewinds tape, while other Toronto Fire Academy, and the King Freeloading is currently undergoing Cortez. Footage was shot during the crew members and actors negotiate the City Airport, whose owner obligingly processing at Medallion Labs. performances, and on the 28th and 29th particulars of the next scene to be shot. provided a pilot and wreckage for one of shooting continued at Toronto's Jarvis The details behind this scenario, how­ the scenes. Patricia Michael • Studios, where there was greater con­ ever, are not quite so typical. It is late The 150 members of the crew and cast trol over the lighting and camera work Sunday night, and the lines of exhaus­ are all working for deferred wages to be than there is possible during the live tion that trace the faces of those woridng paid before producer fees in the event performances. Set designer Sandy Ky- do so on a crew w;ho seem uncommonly that the film is distributed. bartas collaborated with the poets to young to be manning a professional Professional reaction to the shoot has FREELOADING p.c Freeloading Produc­ tions p. Fraser McAninch d. Joseph Sutherland, create sets specifically suited to the shoot. not been positive. Bobby Wertheimer, a Chris Terry cam. sc. Joseph Sutherland 1st a.d. style and content of the poetry,,,Anne In fact, the film in progress is a veteran A.D., has borne a fair degree of Dave PampHn man. Bob Wertheimer wardrobe Waldman interviewed the poets at professional student film, aptly entitled criticism for his participation in Free- sup. Connie Buck wardrobe Shea Keohane, Mi- various Toronto locations ranging from Freeloading and many of the people on loading, and judges that his financial chele Lyle art dept. Kim Brandes, Sheila Anderson the lakeshore to the zoo. sc. sup. Tannis Baker gaffer Hugh McLean sd. set are students from the Ontario College _position will not be terrific by shoof s mix. Reynald Trudel transport Richard Quilan Some of the Poetry in Motion crew, of Art (OAC). The mechanics of this end (mid-November). But he takes con­ boom Brad Rueles make-up Gary A. Boisver, Pat such as cameraman Robert Fresco, unusual shoot have been orchestrated siderable pride in the proficiency of Barnet p.a. Andy Chown grip Ian Bresolin 1st asst. soundman David Joliat, and researcher by director and DOP Joe Sutherland, work done by the student crew, pointing cam. Ron Hewitt clapper Roger Stafeckis stills who has had the idea for the film in to production reports, a rigorously en­ Hugh McLean l.p. Richard Comar, Bill (Dukel Ed­ and assistant - to - the - director David wards, Arnie Hardt, Shelby Gregory, Peter Kaye, Segal, worked with Ron previously on mind for a number of years. Touting the forced promptness, and a professional­ Tom Macdonald, Susan Hart, Glen Wilkins, Dave Imagine the Sound. Emile de Antonio project as a feature film (the first student ism that might match a film set any­ Lyle, Bill Durst, Lionel Rumm, EUie Taylor, jBhn and John Giomo acted as creative con­ venture ever to be shot on 35 mm), a where. Ian Dobson at City Hall, who Ladell, Jean IHawkl Hurtubise, Tony Mason, Ann sultants, and Peter Wintonic will be preliminary press release gives only handled the location permits, coun­ Barber, Natalie Kusmyn, Howard Rock, Cameron tered, saying that he had received only Brown, Susan Seshadri, Simon Craig, Frank Scott, editing the film. scanty details about the plot: it is based Steve Cyncora, Joe Crazier, Jeff Flock, Shirley Gillet­ On the history of the NBS newsroom. compliments on the condition work­ Although the film's original budget of te, Gary Bobbins, Sam Johnny, Patricia Sam, Tiger, Sutherland elaborates that the inspira­ sites had been left in. (Those with pro­ Joe Grosso, Norm Mackay, Derek Pettalia, Steve $200,000 has been reduced to $160,000 tion came from his experience as a fessional experience working on the Evans, Bill Dawe, Blaine Berdan, Evelyn De Lauren- there still remain a few unsold units. tis and Marc Dassas.

Cinema Canada - February 1982/33