Max Powers | USA
96 min
Presented in partnership with Guelph Spoken Word and as part of the 15th Canadian Festival of Spoken Word
The upstart Bowery Slam Poetry Team, made up of five African-American, Afro-Hispanic and queer poets in their 20s, prepares for the national championships. Mentored by a demanding coach who encourages them to push past their personal boundaries and write from a place of vulnerability, pain and honesty, the poets break down, break through and compose their best work ever. Timely and difficult, responding to the racially-charged summer of 2016, their spoken word slays—but will these soul-searching pieces about police violence and the whitewashing of Black culture be able to compete against choreographed crowd-pleasers for the title? Will opting to make a statement instead of a show spell their defeat? An emotional and inspiring film that gives insightful commentary on race, gender, identity, and sexual politics in America today.
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: 10C
Tickets: $15
Event: Talkback with filmmakers Nikhil Melnechuk (Don’t Be Nice) and Cora Atkinson (Don’t Be Nice) and host Truth Is.