In honor of National Poetry Month, here are some documentaries on Kanopy that not only showcase the art of poetry, but feature the voices of the artists who wrote such powerful works.
Deaf Jam is a documentary that follows deaf student Aneta as she breaks the mold into the spoken word scene of New York City with Tahini,a “hearing” Palestinian poet. Together, they work together and share their worlds as one on stage. This documentary shows not only Deaf people but teaches us about their culture, viewpoints, and how they can do anything that they set their minds to.
The Poetry Lounge: The Power of Poetics features different spoken word artists, their performances, and breaks down what their performed poem means to them, the significance of sharing this story, and what poetry means to them. Every performer in this documentary brings a new needed perspective in such beautiful ways you have to listen to them. Especially Javon Johnson’s poem called “My Grandmother, “ I teared up as he was sharing with the audience that he was still making a deal with Time so his Grandmother could stay a little longer with him, a poem that he stopped his truck on the side of the road to write. This documentary encapsulates how poetry pools from them and how they are inspired to write every day, which is such a beautiful thing to be able to do.
In Moccasins and Microphones, we follow the members of the Santa Fe Indian School Spoken Word Team as they perform poetry with the practices of their Native American Cultures. You learn so much in this 45-minute documentary. From the meaning of clothing, the connection to nature, and the power of words in Native American languages. If you enjoy poetry and other mediums of art, you will enjoy this documentary as well.
I hope you enjoy these documentaries as much as I have. These were beautifully made works that showcase how creative and beautifully unique everyone truly is, which is pure poetry in my books.
