Hey everyone, Tash here, director of Cranes, Mafiosos and a Polaroid Camera. I’m fortunate enough to have been commissioned to make this short film for Motionpoems - a nonprofit arts organization, carving a name for high-quality experimental work using poems as scripts. 

This year, all the poems have been selected in response to the new Presidential administration of the United States, covering themes as wide-ranging as immigration, environment, women's rights, firearm regulation and Black Lives Matter.

When I first read Natalie’s poem, I was immediately taken in by it; the language is visually evocative, and the themes resonate strongly at a time when we’d just witnessed the largest single-day worldwide protest in recent years. It’s both melancholic and beautiful with a self-aware and subtle humour. 

The film follows a Native American woman living close to nature, observing the Sandhill Cranes dance and migration. There’s a sense of isolation against the vast natural landscape in a bid to reconnect, which is only interrupted by her drug addict brother’s manic phone calls jarring against the stillness and quiet intimacy. The nomadic feeling of searching is emphasised by the documentary-style journey along the North Platte River, where the Cranes migrate through annually.

It’s a personal story told from the poet’s eye, gently weaving together parallels and reflections on her indigenous heritage, mysticism and culture. The film ends with a flurry of imagery; the birds in movement cut in amongst traditional Native American dance, a feeling of hopefulness and release. 

Straightaway, although I'm based in London, UK, I knew I wanted to shoot in the United States, crafting a film rooted in truth and origin. Instead of replicating the land, we are documenting it and letting the humbling vastness of the American Northwest tell the story.

Filmmaking is an amazing tool to tell stories, and we think it’s important to hear and see different ones from people who are underrepresented for whatever reason; because of history, because of culture, because of things larger than ourselves, circumstances that arise because of gender, skin color, sexual orientation.

We also hope to end up with a film that crosses the boundaries between narrative, artist and documentary filmmaking, woven together to explore this personal story that speaks widely to the history of the indigenous experience and also of displacement, migration. This will be a compelling opportunity to explore the emotional, everyday side of these experiences in a truthful, poetic way. 

The creative development has already begun with extensive research into Native American histories, reading literature and watching films and documentaries inspired by their stories and experiences. This preparation will lead to a final film layered with nuance and complexity. In addition to our film, I’ll be photographically documenting the filmmaking journey on 35mm stills, including the people I meet and the lay of the land, as well as making a digital behind-the-scenes documentary film as I go. I hope these will provide an interesting companion pieces to the film. 

Bridging both the publishing world and film industry, Motionpoem films are often selected for film festivals around the world and Staff Picks on Vimeo, described by Forbes magazine as “astonishing, powerful, and hilarious.” 

In order to make this all a reality, we need your help. We have been awarded a grant by the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visuals Arts, which is a step in the right direction, but our full budget is what we need to stay true to our original intentions to make a film rooted in authenticity, work with a like-minded and talented crew, and have an efficient production process. 

Motionpoems will be providing us with some assets. We will use their partnered vendors to help with voice-casting and sound mixing, both vital components of the filmmaking process. Where you come into play is helping facilitate the production.

Your contributions will go towards paying our amazing crew and talent, shooting on film for both aesthetic and narrative purposes, and getting our project off the ground. We have an experienced and passionate team dedicated to this project, who are capable of handling funds efficiently, locking down schedules, finishing post-production and, come December, delivering a final film. We hope you would like to become part of the reason this project comes to life! 

 Main photo credit: Mico Toledo