Renditions of Faithfulness; from Jorge Calvetti’s Poetry to Gustavo Fontán’s Films.

Abstract

An original and sensitive filmmaker, Gustavo Fontán goes beyond classic transpositions to venture into a poet’s obsessions, aesthetic and atmospheres. He has done so with the work of Jacobo Fijman, Juan L. Ortiz and Jorge Calvetti – to name just a few. In this paper I intend to explore El paisaje invisible, a short film by Fontán that brings us closer to Calvetti. I will focus on the director’s strategies – characteristic of the cinematographic language - that convey the poet’s mythical world and aesthetic, and I will analyze the union of both artists’ poetics. Finally, I would like to offer a brief explanation of the title of this article, which is drawn from a reflection by Calvetti: “All inspiration is born with its own form or forms. The same subject can be written as a narrative or in verse. Why not? They are different renditions of faithfulness.” I believe cinema is another rendition.