Fifteen years in the making, The Complete Works adapts the work of internationally acclaimed avant-garde poet bpNichol. From comic book detective stories and westerns to documentary and magic realism, and from hand drawn animation to computer generated images, The Complete Works wrestles Nichol’s writing off the page and projects it on to the screen. It uses bpNichol’s poetic methods on Nichol himself to create a film that is subversive, entertaining and visually arresting.
Praise for The Complete Works.
An exciting and immersive experience, and a fantastic introduction to the poet bpNichol’s work. There are several moments in the film where form and content are fused spectacularly and with stunning effect. Justin Stephenson has conceived an experience overflowing with wit, and beauty. More than a tribute, this film is a multi-layered evocation. – Atom Egoyan
The Complete Works takes off, with us skidding off a banana peel, and we never regain our balance. It is sheer delight. It is full of stunning recreations. It has letters flying over the landscape. It has song and technical wizardry. This is the true eventual story. – Michael Ondaatje
When I imagine poetry, it looks like ‘The Complete Works’. Justin Stephenson’s film honours bpNichol – and poets everywhere — by projecting the page on to the street, the clouds and our eyeballs. A wonder.
– derek beaulieu, Poet laureate of Calgary.
bpNichol’s work appears courtesy of the Estate of bpNichol and is Copyrighted by Eleanor Nichol. The Complete Works was produced with the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council and The Canada Council for the Arts.
Trailer Music: “motu ok” by Gablé (http://www.gableboulga.com/)
The Complete Works 