Scottish-born writer Robin Robertson’s thrilling narrative poem The Long Take is set in the now vanished era of mid-century Los Angeles. Video editor Paul Martinovic constructs a backdrop of meticulously researched archival footage against which Robertson’s drama is set, in an experience that is by turns lyrical and violent. The result is a powerfully punchy narrative of crime, trauma, and redemption.

“This particular passage of Robertson’s poem is heavily informed by archive footage of twentieth century Hollywood”

Martinovic explains how he collaborated with Robertson to visualise this gutsy account of an almost mythological era in American history: “The film was Robertson’s brainchild, based on researching stock footage from twentieth-century Hollywood. The particular passage of The Long Take, recreated here, was heavily informed by the footage he discovered. As a massive fan of film noir, I jumped at the chance to work on the project with him, bringing to life the veracity and immediacy of his dramatic poem.”

Published on NOWNESS – https://www.nowness.com/story/the-long-take-robin-robertson-paul-martinovic