The Left Hand Of Dogma

AN EXPLANATION OF SORTS

2007-05-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Left Hand of Dogma (A Stop-Start Manifestation of Poetry In Motion) was conceived, created and launched by writer-director, Kevin Williamson, on Saturday 10th June 2006, during a residency at the Hotel Chevillon, Grez-sur-Loing.

The Left Hand of Dogma is a marriage of poetry and film whose creative impulse is DIY, immediate, and allows room for imperfection.

The poetry texts have been written by hand. The Stop-Start films are made guerrilla style, by the author, in a single take. Both are subject to The 20 Rules of Engagement.

The 20 Rules of Engagement are neither as arbitrary nor as pedantic as they may seem. Their purpose is to give artistic constraint to the project. On the rare occasions when poetry is filmed, for television for instance, the technicians involved can often get so carried away with their own visual pyrotechnics that the author’s text can be overwhelmed. Such an approach may enhance the budget of the producers but does little for the appreciation of the poetry.

By presenting together, online, an original hand-written draft of the author’s poetry text, replete with alterations, plus a short film of the author reading his work, alongside the finished text, the author was possibly poking a little fun at his own tightly held belief in the creative mystique of poetry. Or maybe inviting a little voyeurism. Whatever.

This website is my Stop-Start base camp. Should anyone else wish to participate in The Left Hand of Dogma, then feel free. Let me know how you get on. Read The 20 Rules of Engagement and when you have published your own work online, email me the internet address to your own project’s base camp and I will link to it here.

Finally, I should mention that the creative impulsiveness of the original Dogme 95 Manifesto is pleasurably incorporated here. Lars von Trier in particular is the absolute epitome of artistic integrity and long may he continue to rattle the cages of his many beasts.

Kevin Williamson
June 2006

THE LEFT HAND OF DOGMA: THE 20 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

2007-05-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

The 20 Rules of Engagement For Writer-Directors

The Rules of Text

1.Each text will be of poetry, as defined by the writer-director.
2.Each text will be an original work by the writer-director.
3.Each text will be written by hand, in ink or pencil, on paper.
4.The original draft of the work, as it was first written, complete with any alterations, will be dated, and digitally photographed, in colour, by the writer-director.
5.Each text will be presented online under a Creative Commons (CC) license.

The Rules of Film

1.Each film will be made by the author-director alone.
2.Each film will be shot with a portable hand-held camera or mobile phone.
3.Each film will be shot holding the camera in the author-director’s Left Hand.
4.Each film will consist of the writer-director speaking his or her own text, shot in a single continuous take.
5.Each film will last no longer than five minutes.
6.Each film will be in colour.
7.Each film will be shot in natural light only.
8.Each film will have no special effects, title credits, or music added.
9.Each film will have stand unedited as it was shot by the author-director.
10.Each film will be presented online under a Creative Commons license.

The Presentation of Work

1.The writer-director will create a unique internet home for his or her collected work.
2.The writer-director will build this internet presence at zero cost (ie for hosting or design).
3.The writer-director will present each separate work on a separate page of his or her web presence, and each work will have a unique and distinct URL.
4.The writer-director will include on each work’s unique page: a) a digital photograph of the original draft of the work. b) the finished text. c) the film of the writer-director reading his or her text, presented in digital form.
5.Each unique web space will be free to access, and available to anyone online.

These 20 Rules are absolute and final and comprise The Complete Manifesto of The Left Hand of Dogma. Have fun.

Kevin Williamson
10.6.06
Hotel Chevillon
Grez-sur-Loing
France

RESPECT AND INSPIRATION:
Lars von Trier
Thomas Vinterberg
Mark Perry
Duncan McLean
Conor Oberst
Norman MacCaig

Poem #3 SOMETHING GOT LOST, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY

2006-06-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

SOMETHING GOT LOST, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY

Yesterday I sat on the bank
of an artificial lake
and watched a toad
half submerged, half hidden.
Three hours later and
the toad had barely moved.

This toad has too much time
on its hands, I thought.
Its heartbeat bubbled.
An occasional blink
of two dome eyes.
A reposition of its legs.

Visitors were curious.
Three geese paddled past,
hungry perhaps, inquisitive,
found nothing and left -
a trail of minor v’s
broke the surface tension.
The toad blinked.

This corner of France
has dragonflies the size
of hummingbirds.
These peacocks of the air
do helicopter swivels
and shimmer blue
the colour of dreams.

I love the way
tiny quicksilver fish
nibble on algae
like old ladies.
The water is clear enough
to see the fish
know exactly
what they are doing.

Three hours passed.
Or maybe it was five.
The toad had me beat.
One of us felt the death
of a yellow sun
dragging its sorry ass
across a pale blue sky.

What is there to change?
Aujourd'hui, je suis très occupé.
Yesterday, there was nothing to do.

* * *

TEXT

These is the original text of Something Got Lost, Somewhere Along The Way. It was written on the afternoon of the 6th of June 2006 in Room Number 3 of the Hotel Chevillon, Grez-sur-Loing.

FILM

The Stop-Start film of Something Got Lost, Somewhere Along The Way can be viewed by clicking on the title of the work. It was recorded in a single take at 15.36pm(French time) on 16th June 2006 observing all the rules of The Left Hand Of Dogma. It is 171 seconds long.

Poem #2 CONVERSATION WITH MY ACCOUNTANT

2006-06-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

CONVERSATION WITH MY ACCOUNTANT

I’m in pretty good shape
I says, for my age.
I’m alive
wrapped in Scotia’s splendour
and in love.
My contact with
the Dead Sea Scrolls
and the salt mines
of Siberia
has been sporadic,
at worst.
I’m okay.

My accountant is wise
beyond summation
and margins of loss.
You are in protected zone
he says, a minority.
But be careful of the angry herd.
They can sniff
happiness
from a distance
the way a shark
detects blood.

Am I rich? I ask.
Have I made my fortune?
He takes off his glasses
lays them on the table
and looks me straight in the eye.
No.

* * *

TEXT

These is the original text of Conversation With My Accountant. It was written on the morning of the 12th of June 2006 in Room Number 3 of the Hotel Chevillon, Grez-sur-Loing.

FILM

The Stop-Start film of Conversation With My Accountant can be viewed by clicking on the title of the work. It was recorded in a single take at 14.13pm (French time) observing all the rules of The Left Hand Of Dogma. It is 76 seconds long.

Poem #1 ANJA WITH A JAY

2006-06-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

ANJA WITH A JAY

What kind of person
would fall in love
with a six foot
conger eel?

Can you imagine trying
to hold on
to a slippery Gordian
knot with teeth?

A man would need
eyes in the back
of his penis
a swivel neck

and if he could not
balance on the prick
of a pharmaceutical needle
he would be dust.

What kind of person
hunts fish anyway?
Steady hands, bait –
this is not enough.

I know all of this.
I’ve tickled salmon
on their pudgy guts
but only made them laugh.

I’ve seen a baby deer
puzzled by mother nature
stop to lick semen
from a forest floor.

One night I dreamt
I was a bear cub
prowling round the ankles
of de Milo made flesh.

The smoke and these mirrors
and all the little animals
that are so clever and fierce
I am yours.

* * *

TEXT

These is the original text Anja With A Jay. It was written on the morning of the 10th of June 2006 in Room Number 3 of the Hotel Chevillon, Grez-sur-Loing.

FILM

The Stop-Start film of Anja With A Jay can be viewed by clicking on the title of the work. It was recorded in single take at 11.25am (French time) observing all the rules of The Left Hand Of Dogma. It is 88 seconds long.