The spoken word documentary To Be Heard tells the story of three South Bronx teens whose struggles to change their lives begin when they start to write poetry. Through the process, they become self-aware artists, expressing their love, frustrations, and hopes through the spoken word and attempting to transform their lives because of it.
The story seems to go the Freedom Writers (2007) route — you know, white teacher instructing black children on expressing their feelings and experiences in written form. Freedom Writers was also based on a true story, so maybe that’s a pattern with idealistic teachers in inner city schools.
This film, however, seems to put more of the focus on the students and less on the teacher.
It screens in Florida at the Sarasota Film Festival tomorrow and Friday, and at the Full Frame Film Festival in Durham, NC on Saturday. Or you could wait for it to come to PBS this fall.
In the meantime, visit their website.
