Director Jon Siskel and artist Lamar Jorden are expected to attend Friday and Saturday screenings.
Louder Than a Bomb is a film about passion, competition,
teamwork, and trust. It’s about the joy of being young, and the pain of
growing up. It’s about
speaking out, making noise, and finding your
voice. It also just happens to be about poetry. Every year, more than
six hundred teenagers from over 60 Chicago area schools gather for the
world’s largest youth poetry slam, a competition known as "Louder Than a
Bomb".
Founded in 2001, “Louder Than a Bomb” is the only event of its kind
in the country—a youth poetry slam built from the beginning around
teams. Rather th
an emphasize individual poets and performances, the
structure demands that kids work collaboratively with their peers,
presenting, critiquing, and rewriting their pieces. To succeed, teams
have to create an environment of mutual trust and support. For many
kids, being a part of this—in an academic context—is life-changing. Louder Than a Bomb chronicles the stereotype-confounding stories of four teams as they prepare for and compete in the 2008 event.
By turns hopeful and heartbreaking, the film captures the
tempestuous lives of these unforgettable kids, exploring the ways
writing shapes their world, and vice versa. This is not "high school
poetry" as we often think of it. This is language as a joyful release,
irrepressibly talente
d teenagers obsessed with making words dance. How and why they do it—and the community they create along the way—is the story at the heart of this inspiring film.
"One of the most inspiring and exhilarating documentaries in months, or maybe years....Vibrant and moving."—Steve Pond, The Wrap
"An affecting and superbly paced celebration of American youth at their creative best..."—Robert Koehler, Variety
If you are a local Seattle teen interested in attending please let us know here.
Official Website: http://www.louderthanabombfilm.com/
SIFF site: http://www.siff.net/cinema/detail.aspx?FID=220&id=44186
