Is poetry dying? In the U.S., at least, over the last few decades, readership has declined 10%.  But that still leaves 16 million people who say they read at least one poem a year. While less than the number who bowl (70 million), it’s way more than scuba divers (3.5 million). And with the advent of the poetry video, there could be a tidal wave of popularity, akin to what the music video did for rock. This brings us to Manon Gaurin’s “Monsters,” a one-minute poetry video that took one of the top prizes at this year’s PNB Paribas Mobile Film Festival.

Gaurin’s short movie illustrates a poem by UK-based poet Nikita Gill. Just as with the best music videos, Gaurin avoids literal representation of the words. Instead, she captures the essence of the poem by creating a dramatic situation, one that includes a reference to Hitchcock’s iconic shower scene.

If “Monsters” whets your appetite for the poetry video genre, you might also enjoy “Take the Window Seat,” a drone poetry video featuring Tom Waits reading a poem by Charles Bukowski. And if it’s just psychological thrills you’re after, take a look at Melissa Brattoni’s “In My Mind.”

The “Mobile Movie of the Week” Series

“Monsters” was chosen as a Mobile Movie of the Week by the editors of MobileMoveMaking.com. You can find many other honored videos by typing “Mobile Movie of the Week” in the search box on this page. If you know of an outstanding smartphone video or a film shot using any mobile device, let us know at info@mobilemoviemaking.com.