Behind the Bars

Max Rothman

Throughout the course of his life, poet Edward Smyth Jones faces an uphill battle through the oppression that the institutions of the world hold against men of his race. As the obstacles surmount and things begin to seem hopeless, he turns to the written word to find solace in his experience - finding meaning in his struggle and passing down the story of his life in order to teach future generations how to find comfort in a life hindered by inexplicable prejudices. Based on a poem by Edward Smyth Jones. Animated and Directed by Neely Goniodsky Music by Omar Ruiz Music Edition by Jose Miguel Marquez Narrated by Brian Capshaw Produced by Max Rothman "Behind the Bars" is part of Max Rothman & Monticello Park Productions' "Campfire Poetry Project," where voice over artists, composers, animators, dancers, and other visual artists collaborate to adapt classic poetry through the lens of contemporary art forms, a process that mirrors the "exquisite corpse" approach to storytelling, wherein a text is given to a voice over artist who, using their own experiences, perspective and talents, creates an emotional reading of the piece. That reading is then passed to a composer, who creates an original composition to complement the reading. That original score is then passed to a visual artist, who uses their own technique to create a short film narrative evoking the thematic, historical, and emotional context provided by the textual and audio framework, revealing how the stories and narrative structures of our past can remain relevant and take on new meaning in today's world.