SlamNation Competing in the National Poetry Slam
A nonfiction narrative that takes you on a trip through the Slam Poetry phenomenon, following New York City's novice team on its journey to join over 120 spoken word artists on 27 city teams at the National Poetry Slam in Portland, Oregon. Here, SlamNation discovers not only the raw energy and sheer talent of some of the greatest performance poets in the country, but a good old fashioned tale of heroes and villains amidst the dramatic tension of fiery competition. From the inevitable rivalries, highly charged controversies, and unusual characters emerge some classic struggles such as art versus ego, and self-expression versus self-advancement. The stakes are unexpectedly high: audience adulation and thunderous applause that few poets will ever experience.
Running Time
145 mins
Nb videos
2 videos included
Kanopy ID
1245333
Filmmakers
Features
Alexandra Oliver, Beau Sia, Bob Holman, Danny Solis, DJ Renegade, Indigo, Jeff Meyers, Jessica Care Moore, Larry Francis, Marc Smith, Monica Copeland, Nave', Patricia Smith, Reuben Nisenfeld, Saul Williams, Sean Shea, Taylor Malo, Wammo
Languages
Subjects
Show More
2 videos in this playlist
SlamNation
A nonfiction narrative that takes you on a trip through the Slam Poetry phenomenon, following New York City's novice team on its journey to join over 120 spoken word artists…
SlamNation - Abridged
A nonfiction narrative that takes you on a trip through the Slam Poetry phenomenon, following New York City's novice team on its journey to join over 120 spoken word artists…
Related videos
The Poetry Lounge - Understanding the Power of the Spoken Word
The Poetry Lounge: Self-Expression Through The Spoken Word is a free, multicultural open-forum for self-expression, inspiring young people to find their own voice and let it be heard. Hosted by award-winning Def Poets Shihan and Poetri, the "Lounge" has become the largest weekly open mic forum in the country, and…
Flicker
This award-winning documentary about poet, calligrapher and mystic Brion Gysin portrays the life and legacy of an artist who believed art could revolutionize human consciousness. This film chronicles Gysin's complex ideas and influence with some key counterculture figures, such as William Burroughs and Kurt Cobain.
Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt
"In a vain attempt at bourgeois credibility, Lenny changed his name to John Cooper Clarke and under this title embarked on a poly-syllabic excursion through thrillsville U.K.. Yes it was be there or be square as, clad in the slum chic of the hipster, he issued the slang anthems of…
Letters Not About Love
Two contemporary poets, Lyn Hejinian from America and Arkadii Dragomoshchenko from Russia, are asked to begin a correspondence based on a list of ordinary words such as 'home,' 'book,' 'poverty,' 'violence.' They reflect on each word, considering its conventional meaning and what it means to them personally. The resulting extraordinary…
Poetry in Motion
Called the "Woodstock of Poetry" by American Film, and "Dazzling" by the Los Angeles Times, Poetry in Motion is an unprecedented anthology of twenty-four leading North American poets who sing, chant, anything but "read" their work. The result is a celebration of poetry's ancient oral tradition. And an energetic demonstration…
A Place to Stand - The Story of Author Jimmy Santiago Baca
This film tells the story of acclaimed author Jimmy Santiago Baca's transformation from a functionally illiterate convict to an award-winning poet, novelist and screenwriter.
Based on the memoir of the same name, the film takes viewers into Baca's past and present to uncover how the power of the written word…
e.e. cummings: An American Original
The Harvard-educated writer, who preferred to sign his name in all lower case, is known the eccentricity of the typography and punctuation he employed to reinforce the rhythm and meaning of words. His poems truly leap off the page when performed aloud. This program, which celebrated the beauty of the…
Rita Dove - An American Poet
The film is made in part of a series of in-depth, on-camera, conversations with Poet Laureate Rita Dove--conducted and recorded by Eduardo Montes-Bradley between September 2012, and October 2013. These conversations were later edited using with hundreds of still images and several hours of home movies from the Dove family's…
Between the Lines - Asian American Female Poets
This documentary offers rare interviews with over 15 major Asian-Pacific American women poets. Organized in interwoven sections such as Immigration, Language, Family, Memory, and Spirituality, it is a sophisticated merging of Asian-American history and identity with the questions of performance, voice, and image.
This engaging documentary serves as poetry reading,…
Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen - An Intimate Look into a Poet's Life
This informal black-and-white portrait of Leonard Cohen shows him at age 30 on a visit to his hometown of Montreal, where the poet, novelist and songwriter comes "to renew his neurotic affiliations." He reads his poetry to an enthusiastic crowd, strolls the streets of the city, relaxes in this three-dollar-a-night…
Visiones: Latino Art & Culture - Episode 1
The Latino Mural Movement of the 1960's, Nuyorican spoken word, and editorial cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz are featured in the first episode of the series. Created in New York, Nuyorican spoken word is a form of artistic expression that emerged from the tumultuous 1960s and continues to influence and inspire the…
Anna Akhmatova: The Life of a Poet - Russia's Great and Beautiful Muse
"You will hear thunder and remember me, and think: she wanted storms..." -- Anna Akhmatova
Fate granted Anna Akhmatova immense poetic talent, beauty, fame and a brilliant generation. Then came the executions of her loved ones, hunger, wars, revolutions, Soviet terror, isolation, betrayal. Yet Akhmatova emerges victorious, armed with mere…
