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My screening of Lamont Pierre’s, “Talking with the Taxman about Poetry,” had all the trappings of a mysterious blind date. I did not know anything about the films storyline, I did not know anything about the director, and I did not have concrete intentions of actually seeing the film. It all happened by happenstance.

Yet, I screened it, and I was deeply inspired by it, and I believe that you should catch it while you can at the 2013 Pan African Film Festival.

The film tells a story about a writer named Theodore (Kareem Ferguson). He is an eccentric, intelligent, and depressed writer. He financially supports himself as a teacher. This film begins when Theodore’s teaching job ends. And through an unexpected situation, he finds himself with a new gig; writing a novel for a sexy stranger named Seven (Steph Jones). This stranger is a musician, and he changes Theodore’s life forever.

Theodore’s temperament throughout the film is rather unpredictable, and at times crazy! One minute he is calling a woman a cunt, and then he is seen changing his name for the fourth time. This is such an interesting component of the film, and it would have been great to see why this character hates older white women (there are several scenes); and why he keeps on changing his name. At one point in the film his name is Benjamin Franklin.

An ongoing theme throughout the film is a toothache that Theodore has and never gets fixed. This tooth ache symbolizes the fact that Theodore is addicted to pain. Not just in his everyday life, but in his love life as well. It would have been great to learn more about the back story of this toothache. Yes, you’ll have to watch the film to understand this observation.

The relationship between Theodore and his best friend Afton (Diarra Kilapatrick) is an enduring one. They are both writers and it is with each other that they can totally be free to share their deepest thoughts on the power of words. The scenes between the two are captivating, intimate, and rather touching. Their friendship allows us to see the value of friendships without limits.

Seven, the musician that enters Theodore’s life, is a mystery. Yet, his purpose in his life is Theodore’s saving grace.

The writing of this film really took me by surprise. It was poetic and fitting. Overall, the poetic slant of the film makes way for a flexible interpretation.

After the screening of the film, the director informed the audience that the film was still a work in progress. He mentioned that the film needed to be touched up a lot in regard to certain production aspects of the project.

I’ll end this review and say that the film has inspired me to ask myself, “What Story Am I Telling the World about Myself?”

Watch the new trailer below for a glimpse at what to expect:

lamont pierré

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