Film for Her

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

I have been a follower of Orion for a very long time and it is absolutely mesmerizing to see herself revealed in the pages of her books. While Flux was an exploration of heartbreak, one that I admired yet could not relate to, Film for Her felt so personal that it managed to sneak into my mind and make me feel the same way Orion must have felt - she accomplished what she meant. These poems touch on family, belonging, the desperate need for company in a city of lonely souls. Orion writes about her fears as an adult, one we can all find ourselves into. She wonders how she may become a poem, failing to realize she already is one. She writes for generations of lonely hearts, hopeless romantics that seem like misfits in a culture of hookups and passing moments. Film for Her aims directly at the heart and I found myself crying more than once. Sincerity is scary, and she managed to terrify me with the accuracy with which she described these emotions. I hope this won't be the last I read of her, she has a talent for writing poetry that not many authors can achieve in this way.

''Hemingway once said, ''Write long and hard about what hurts,'' but what if nothing's hurting? What I feel inside is both bedraggled and empty. [...] Patience is something that I'm working on. And as I tap the end of my pen on the corners of my temples, I remind myself that it's okay if I don't have the right words right now -or that I'm not Hemingway.''

Filled with longing, love, and heartbreak, Orion Carloto manages to write down her feelings in a way that makes the reader feel as if they were feeling them themselves. I often could feel my heart breaking and Carloto's memories slipping into my mind -I could picture the house in Portugal, the bar where she celebrated her twenty-third birthday, the beach she got drunk in in France. Orion Carloto wrote about the pain she endured but, at the same time, talked about hope. Maybe she didn't do it directly -she never really mentioned it, if I'm honest-, but the whole book feels like a learning experience; upon finishing it, I feel as if I've learnt acceptance, and as if I'm ready to love again.
It took me a bit to get into Carloto's style at the beginning -I'm mostly used to Shakespeare and Keats, as an English major-, but, once I'd been reading for thirty minutes, I couldn't stop. I was afraid that I wasn't going to like this as much as I liked Flux, since I read Flux when I had just started my degree and I was impressionable (and I would read any kind of poetry thrown at me just to say that I read poetry, even if the words didn't make sense and the author was just writing the book to earn some money), but that wasn't the case. Carloto grew, in a way, alongside me, and it has been delightful to be a part of that journey.

''But alas, I am not in love.
And now, too, I suppose,
I am no longer a writer.''

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC

I would say that I have been an Orion fan since I was 17 years old. Now I am 21 and, although I do not consider myself old at all, it makes me reflect on how curious life is and how quickly time passes. When I started following her social media, I automatically became a loyal fan. I always liked her aesthetic, the aura that she gave off. The things she said and, more importantly, how she said them, made me feel better about myself. You could see that Orion was a dreamer with an artist soul, in every way, and that was comforting to me.

As soon as she published Flux, I got hold of it. My teenage self devoured it and added it to her list of favorite books. It was there that I discovered that Orion was not just an image. She was not an idol to look up to. In a way, empathizing with her poems made me humanize her. I was heartbroken myself, and even though we weren't going through the same thing, it felt like talking to a friend.

Years later, Orion announced that she was publishing his second book: Film for Her. My more mature self reacted the same as my past: wanting to read it. When it came to my hands, it was like going back to the past. I read it in a couple of hours and closed the book feeling like someone new.

You see, my experience reading Film for Her has been very different from Flux. This time I have read the book empathizing only in some parts for the simple fact of not being in the same sentimental point as the writer. But that is why I liked it so much. It is not about representing your feelings, but about making you feel. You can feel melancholy, longing, and fear in the same way that you feel love and happiness. It doesn't matter if your life is like this or not, Film for Her allows you to dive into another and feel it as yours.

I have to say that my favorite pieces have undoubtedly been Would I ?, Creature of habit and Chaves. In addition, Orion has reached another level with this work. The mixture of images, poems and texts creates a beautiful rhythm and reaches an almost cinematic level. She is beautiful in every way and no one in their right mind could deny that she is an artist from head to toe.

So I can only recommend this reading and thank Orion for letting us see a little of his mind and also teach us something along the way.

I read a lot of poetry and I’m always on the look out for new voices. I’m so glad I stumbled across Carloto and I look forward to reading more of her work. Film for Her is a fantastic book, full of great pictures, fantastic poetry and the odd short piece of prose. I savoured every word of it. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the photos at first, but they enrich the text. I enjoyed the poems the most. The prose pieces were also very good but thankfully there are only a few as the poetry and photos made Film for Her very special. The best pieces were Attic tragedy, Dancing Queen, I Forgot How Dangerous A Dream Could Be, Self-Portrait of my Insecurities and Would I?

Orion Carloto's words have a way of making me feel things I do not think I have ever felt before. I discovered her on Instagram a year or two back and fell completely in love with her style. I read her first book, Flux, in last year and really enjoyed it and so, I was over the moon when I got a copy of her newest release in my hands.

I loved everything about Film for Her—the poems, layout, photographs, everything. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy soon so that I can display it in my photos and house for everyone to see. It truly is a stunning book and it's one I highly recommend.

Using poetry and prose paired with photos, Carloto takes us on a dreamlike stroll through memory. There are some lovely images throughout the book, with many poignant lines about love and longing for both people and the past. Reading it put me in the kind of nostalgic and slightly melancholy mood one might experience while watching a sunset, or when alone with your thoughts at 3 AM. The photos included in the book enhance the reading experience, contributing to the feeling of being immersed in an exploration of the past. While a few of the pieces fell a bit flat for me, that was outweighed by others that struck chords within me. So much of the emotion Carloto poured onto the pages felt relatable, and I saw pieces of myself scattered amongst the words. I definitely do not regret reading this collection; I'll be sitting here in nostalgic reflection for a while afterward. Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Orion Carloto pours her heart and soul out in her collection of poetry, prose, and photography, Film For Her. Carloto delves deep in what it means to be in love and to experience heartbreak, using mixed media to help tell her tale.

Orion has mastered romanticizing her life and all of what happens in it. She shares her late night thoughts, curated from her fire escape, and the tales of her life in color.

Film For Her is a collection of dark love, blistering joy, and a reminder that life is beautiful, even in it's chaos.

Here is a snippet from my review from Orion's first collection, "Flux" -
"Her words have resonated with me, but I kept rooting for her to touch a little farther, a bit deeper. I kept saying in my head,'Go ahead, Orion. Push a little farther.'"
and I truly without a doubt believe that she has. I enjoy reading poetry about the kind of love that is not often spoken of and this was quite pleasant to read. While I enjoyed the prose much more than the poems, everything showed significant growth from her first collection. Some of the stories written about felt so personal, almost so as if I wasn't allowed to read them, as if I opened up her journal laying on her bedside table. This, however, was an important and much needed feeling. It helped me to relate on a level that is far beyond the surface.
Flux to me was relatable in the sense of recognizing, "Hey! I got my heartbroken too!", and nothing much beyond that.
Where as Film For Her was as if she pulled a story out of my own journal and said, "Here. I'll write this for the both of us."
I look forward to plenty more, Orion.
With love, Amarie xx

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the arc! This title will be released November 17, 2020.

I was obsessed with Flux and when I heard of Orion’s new collection, I had to get my hands on it right away! I adored the photography she accompanied with her writing. It was sublime.

Going through these pages felt so personal and raw like I was reading her diary. I experienced nostalgia for memories that weren’t mine. I was transported, transfixed.

Orion is unapologetic of her over romanticization of life and that is what made this so great. You really understand the world from her rose-tinted glasses. Don’t get me wrong, though, it isn’t always glamorous.

If you loved Flux, you will love this even more! I recommend to all the dreamers who are messy in life.

I fell completely in love with Flux when I read it 2 years ago so I was so very excited to discover Film for Her.
Where Flux made me feel things intensely, made me fall in love, and experience heartbreaks, Film for Her focused on life itself, not on the highs nor the lows, but on the inbetweens, as Carloto says herself, on melancholy and nostalgia, on the longing, on the loneliness.
I love Carloto's writing, I always see myself in her poems, they always make me feel like myself. I loved seeing all her photos too, glimpses of her everyday life. Paired with the poems they hold so many emotions and memories.
Film for Her made me think of my past, of my future, it made me sad from time to time, but mostly it appeased me and soothed me. I do not like loneliness, but I love bathing in nostalgia and melancholy from time to time, and this book did just that.
I've been following Orion Carloto for a while, we're the same age, and I love seeing her grow through her poetry, and seeing myself in her poetry, as if we're growing alonside each other.

this is the first ever poetry book that I’ve actually sat down and read that wasn’t for school and I really really enjoyed it. I actually finished it in one sitting, which is not my norm. To be fair, it was fairly short.

I think that the themes brought up in many of the poems were quite relatable to anyone pursuing an artistic career. I didn’t relate to everything the author said in this book, but of course that’s because the poems were about her own unique experience. I liked both the poems and the photographs in this book, though I often didn’t see the connection between them. I wouldn't necessarily suggest this to anyone who isn’t a huge poetry fan, but if you do like poetry I think you should check it out (it’s out tomorrow)!

I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for a review.

Film For Her is Orion Carloto's second poetry book. I have not read her first book but after reading this one I may have to. I enjoyed the style of her poetry and it felt very authentic. While not all the poems resonated with me because I don't have similar experiences to back up what she felt, I really appreciated how personal the pieces were.

Film for Her is a literary exploration. I love the way that Orion Carloto uses the written word and connects us to the power of poetic work in a difficult time. There's much to appreciate about this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Orion Carloto, & the publishing company for sending me this Arc to read.
Film for Her is a mixture of poetry, prose, & photography romanticizing lovers and life while share bits and pieces of her life. The 35mm photos included were lovely and tied in with the poetry beautifully.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

absolutely dripping in nostalgia, orion carloto's film for her is like taking a look into someone's diary and learning who they truly are. the book contains poetry, but it also contains photographs, letters and other things that make up a person and capture our memories. it feels deeply personal to carloto and if you don't have an interest in her as a person it might not be the perfect fit for you. but even if you have no idea who carloto is I think you can get something from her work, because as we begin to understand the depths of another person we can begin to understand ourselves.

film for her didn't always work for me, some poems felt a bit generic, shallow and sometimes like they were trying to hard to be deep. that's not saying that's the reality of what the poems actually are, but I think that will happen with most poetry collections, not everything will resonate. but what did resonate with me in this collection, resonated a lot. the themes of loneliness, family, longing and heartbreak hit very deep and throughout a lot of the collection I felt nostalgic for a past that I haven't even lived myself.

seeing the world through orion carloto's rose-tinted glasses, with this collection, was a delight and I would recommend anyone who feels like it would be the right fit for them to do the same.

heartfelt and charming. Orion has captured the essence of her soul in this beautiful book of photos and words. accessible yet artistic, poetic, and darling. The perfect coffee table read or a good book for someone who wants to dip your toe into poetry

Young poet Orion Carloto is a wonder. Her words hit you like a force of nature. In her second book, Film For Her, her poems tackle a wide range of emotions we all feel everyday. When a book has the power to strip you of the walls you have built up and allows you to be vulnerable and be seen, that is magic. Carloto has that magic. Whether she’s writing about a lost love, the beauty of true friendship, or the sense of love for the city you live in, she does it in such a way that romanticizes it, yet shows how real and painful these things may be.

The inclusion of Carloto’s own personal film photos in this book only add to the emotion behind her words, putting a face to her different muses.

Flipping through the pages of this book invokes a sensation of the unreal, teleports you to another realm. This realm is one I would like to stay in. A world where lost love is painful, but romanticized and helps to shape who we are today. A world where friendship can be the greatest love in our lives. A world where the city you live in becomes a part of you, all of it’s flaws exactly what you need.

I felt as if someone was sprinkling magic over top of me as I read this book because of how incredibly inspired I became after reading her words. As someone who also over romanticizes, Carloto’s words have a way of drawing out the absolutes in all of us and they make you feel seen and heard. It is a talent few people hold, and I am glad that someone so wondrous and full of pure goodness decided that she needed to share this magic with the world.

This collection of poetry reads as more of a memoir of sorts. There is poems, photography, and prose documenting Carloto’s life. She writes of the ups and downs she faced and about the people she loves most. There were several poems that resonated with me personally, having also spent some time in Paris. I fell in love with her poetry reading Flux and although this collection is completely different, I really enjoyed it. I feel like Carloto’s writing has grown and changed since her first collection and it was interesting to see her write about more than just love.

Film for Her is a great collection of Carloto's poetry, prose, and photography. This felt genuine, thoughtful, and personal.