A classic from Ancient Rome is re-imagined in Detroit, where a teen ager finds the story and its ample advice about sex and romance of great interest
Have you ever felt so immersed in a book, you start to day dream about it, even thinking of the characters as intimately as your own friends and family?
Ovid and the Art of Love will ring especially true for such literature lovers, but will hopefully, in this writer’s view, find an even wider audience.
The film begins with a young boy being given a copy of Ovid’s The Art of Love. Perhaps in need of some romantic advice himself as he enters adulthood, the teenage reader immediately becomes engrossed in Ovid’s story, literally seeing the Roman poet come to life before him as he reads in a dilapidated Detroit warehouse.
Though Detroit may seem like an unusual backdrop for a classic story of government intrigue, politicking, and romance, the urban setting works — after all, don’t we picture Rome today being a city mostly of ruins too? The characters move between contemporary conventions and more formal dialogue, evoking the feeling of a modern-set Shakespearean retelling (think Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing) crossed with an edge of Spike Lee’s Chiraq. Scenes take place in modern apartments, nightclubs, and city landmarks, juxtaposed with actors dressed (mostly) in Roman period-appropriate clothing (plus a backpack or two).
Ovid and the Art of Poetry – Sexy but Not Too Graphic
The romantic interludes, much like Ovid’s poetry itself, alludes to sexual acts without being overly graphic, mostly keeping things appropriate for our young teen reader — and also hopefully attracting an aware, woke audience who are almost certainly overdue for discovery of the charms of a 2000 year old poet.
RECOMMENDED
Directed by Esme Van Hoffman
Cast: Corbin Bleu, John Savage, Tara Summers
World premiere on August 10th at 5:30 pm at the Festival of Cinema NYC
For more information visit the OVID AND THE ART OF LOVE website.
Full Disclosure: The author of this review, while not professionally involved in this film’s promotion through her communications agency, has had a brief association with the production house handling this film.
Photo credit: Glenna Lang
About Author:
Ryan Davis (@indieartsvoice) is a film publicist and communications professional with over ten years experience in the film industry and arts marketing. She is co-founder and Principal at Smarthouse Creative. Named by Media Inc. as one of Washington State's most influential women in film, TV, and media, Ryan has worked with outlets ranging from CNN and The New York Times, to community newspapers and local radio. She has worked in almost every aspect of the film business--from production and festivals to distribution, exhibition and sales.
Ryan worked for Arab Film Distribution/Typecast Films where she was part of the production and release of the Academy Award-nominated Iraq in Fragments. She has worked for a variety of nonprofit arts groups and organizations, including heading the marketing departments for Northwest Film Forum and Northwest Folklife, and was the assistant director of Couch Fest Films from 2010-2014. Ryan was on the jury for the International Documentary Challenge for 2012-3, and a juror for the 2015 Seattle Shorts Festival. Ryan currently sits on the board of The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, WA.