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Fourteen years ago, I made Rita Dove: An American Poet, a biographical film that captured something essential about one of America's most important voices. You can watch the documentary below. Now, as Rita and I prepare to embark on a new cinematic journey exploring her epic poem Sonata Mulattica, I find myself revisiting that first collaboration—not out of nostalgia, but to understand who we were then, what we captured, and how far we've traveled since.

Poet Rita Dove's visit to George Bridgetower's catacombs inspires a new documentary exploring the forgotten violinist who once performed with Beethoven. Poet Rita Dove once descended into a London catacombs to pay respects to George Bridgetower, the brilliant violinist whose collaboration with Beethoven has been largely erased from history. Her pilgrimage, recount