“Don’t you wish we could know the memories we’d soon miss the most as they were happening right in front of us?”

I've had this book on my radar for a while now, having followed the author in one way or another for years. I don't typically pick up poetry, however I had enjoyed all of the content of Orion's that I'd consumed so far, so I figured I'd take a chance. Film for Her did not disappoint. While I thought I knew what to expect, I was taken aback by how vulnerable and open her poems were. I may not necessarily be able to relate to everything that she endured, Orion's writing was so immersive that I felt like I was right beside her within each entry. I loved the photography included, and I feel like this would be the perfect book to buy physically and flip through even just to appreciate the photos included. I had such a great time reading this book and getting the opportunity to have peak inside Orion's thoughts, now I can't wait to read Flux !

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

(Thank you to Netgalley for offering me the opportunity to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

A few hours after finishing this book, I'm still not sure how I feel. First, I will say that I truly believe that a physical copy definitely is worth the investment. The book is beautifully made, with stunning pictures, written notes and letters. I feel like it could be the type of book you revisit from time to time, just to see if you resonate with the same pieces after a while. I did not find myself as charmed as I was with Flux, even if some pieces (Naked Orchards, They said Paris was for lovers, Carte Postale) really reminded me of the lightness in Carloto's wording and her capacity to suggest feelings.
Maybe because this work takes you on a different journey, with stories from Carloto's childhood, pictures of her family and friends... To me, at times, it almost read like a memoir (or a stolen diary) and less like poetry, and while it surprised me a little today, I feel like it was because I had my own expectations about this book, having wondered for a while what Film for Her would be like. It's a beautiful book, maybe not my exact type of poetry, but a delicately made all the same.

3.5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had to think a lot before writing this review because I'm still not entirely decided on how to feel about this book. Poetry and prose for me are a hit or miss, so I'm rarely left in a space in-between where I'm unsure about my feelings towards a poetry book. This book has a lot of heart in it, and there are pieces such as Atlanta and Santal 33 that I really enjoyed while others fell a bit flat. Carloto's prose about her parents and childhood stood out to me the most, full of nostalgia and a touch bittersweet. The photography in the book was probably my favorite part, and I wholly appreciated how each picture spoke its own piece and took part in the narrative. I also appreciate the sense of wistfulness that ties the poetry and photographs together throughout the book.

This is the first book I've read by Orion Carloto and, although it's not my usual type of poetry, I'm curious to look into her other works and read some more.

Orion Carloto’s “Film for Her” is a winding path through a nostalgia that does not belong to you, though maybe at the end of this book it will feel like it does. A collage, mixture of poetry, prose, and pictures, “Film for Her” guides us through the years of Carloto’s early adulthood, following her across the country and the world as she discovers both new places and herself, and herself in those new places. How lonely and invigorating living alone in a foreign city can be.

“I’ve sewn my eyes shut
and relived visions of you
through many passing moons”

The subject matter of the poems sways from (lost) love to (as she calls it herself) growing pains to false and new starts. Not all poems resonated with me, and I think that was partly to do with the subject matter. It didn’t always feel like it could break loose from the “okay/good” level to something new and burrowing. I did really feel like the different parts of her life that Carloto describes and goes through actually felt different while reading. As if she is maturing and growing not only within the narration but also as she is writing. This works very well to enhance the feeling that periods in her life come and go as you read.

“In the darkness
I can feel your heart beating
on the corners of my shoulder blades,
and I know that there’s love in there
both pure and divine.”

I think the strength of this book is really the collaboration of words and photographs that together craft a tangible nostalgic atmosphere, one that surrounded me fully as I made my way through. This made the book stand out beyond “just” being a book of poetry about someone’s life. The 35mm film in combination with Carloto’s sense of framing and movement as she photographs carries something magical that really radiated through the rest of the pages as well.

“I’ve poured this raddled body
into more people than I can count.
Crossing off tally marks
on the backs of necks
creating strangers
out of lovers.”

I'm pretty sure that the first time I read the summary for Film For Her, I thought it was a work of fiction, but I am not disappointed by what I got! In this book, Orion Carloto collects poems and pictures, tells stories about her life and explores friendship, family, romance.

I've been following Orion for ages. Her videos never failed to entertain me, or make me go [heart eyes] at the images she captured, or make me feel an ache in my heart at her words. Although I still haven't read her debut book Flux, I was extremely happy to find this book available to read on NetGalley, as I was really looking forward to it.

I think Orion's words are so beautiful, and I found myself bookmarking several pages that held passages that I felt in my heart and pages in which the entire poem just did everything for me. Even when I couldn't relate to the topic (not many romantic adventures in my life lol), I was still able to connect or reinterpret her words (usually accidentally) in my own way. I'm a sucker for texts that feel like someone is framing life with a golden frame, where hot days feel special and not just sweaty, and sticky hands feel magical and not just, well, sticky. It just makes me feel like the moment is being enjoyed and there's beauty being found in everything. And although I, as Carloto, can't always live in the moment~, reading texts like these help me try to appreciate the little things more, when I'm faced with them.

It's amazing how ALL of the pictures in this book pleased my eyes immensely. But then again, I follow her on Instagram. I knew what she was capable of.

This wasn't a 5 star for me because I felt like the last ¼ of it wasn't as… good? as the first ¾. It just didn't hit the same, but that's okay!

A beautiful collection of poetry and photographs and illustrate a woman’s life and all that’s beautiful about California and Paris. This book felt like taking a trip. I highly recommend it.

The photographs absolutely compliment and elevate Carloto's poetry and prose; the resulting piece, that works as "visual diary", is a merging of art and poetry, an amalgamated painfully sincere and delicate piece of art.