Saw Huw Wahl's The Republics at C-A-S-T today. Having just been given the all-clear from self isolating, it was a guilty pleasure to slip away and enjoy this unique film. Unfamiliar with Stephen Watts' poetry, I didn't really know what to expect, but most films featured by C-A-S-T are well worth a look, and this was no exception. Shot in black and white, using a Bolex ‘wind-up’ camera, The Republics follows Stephen Watts as he moves from North Uist in Scotland’s Western Isles to London’s Isle of Dogs to the mountains of Northern Italy. There is more about the film here , which explains it better than I can. What really struck me is Watts' ability to observe, captured over and over again by Wahl. There are scenes where Watts sits watching a dance, or is seemingly lost observing a goat and its kids gambol around an Italian village. Perhaps a key to poetry is to be able to truly look at the world around you. The rest of the time, Watts seems to be in constant m...
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