Independent Lens : Every Child Is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas (2004)
Directed by Jonathan Meyer Robinson
Genres - Visual Arts |
Sub-Genres - Biography, Literary Studies, Performance Art, Social Issues |
Run Time - 60 min. |
Countries - United States |
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Synopsis
"Every Child Is Born a Poet" profiles legendary "Nuyorican" bard Piri Thomas, the author of the groundbreaking 1967 autobiographical novel "Down These Mean Streets." Poet, storyteller, teacher and proselytizer, Thomas is a whirlwind. To keep up, filmmaker Jonathan Robinson follows him frenetically, mixing re-creations (fanciful and realistic; in color and in black and white) with segments in which Thomas counsels kids and leads writing workshops for young offenders. His mantra: "I came from violence. Poetry was my way out. Poetry is wisdom."
Characteristics
Themes
Keywords
writer, activism, cultural-identity, career-retrospective, recollection, struggle, teacher, transformation, poetry, storytelling, drug-addiction, education, imprisonment, juvenile-crime, literacy
