2nd Verse: The Rebirth of Poetry

Plot Summary

2nd Verse: The Rebirth of Poetry explores urban teen life in the San Francisco Bay Area through the rising popularity of poetry and spoken word. Although poetry is the unifying characteristic that brings these young people together, the film does not concentrate on their poems so much as it tells the story of their lives amid the Bay Area's melting pot of ethnic and economic backgrounds. This Cinéma Vérité style documentary reveals the intimate details of several teenage poets as they prepare for and participate in the biggest moment of their lives: The 8th Annual Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Competition. Although the competition provides a convenient arc with which to tell their stories, as the poets repeat in the film, "it's not all about the competition." 2nd Verse: The Rebirth of Poetry shows how these teens coexist and draw strength from each other, and how these youth poets are changed by their engagement with spoken word, exploring their identity and connection to their unique California community. From a sixteen-year-old girl who lost her father to alcohol at a young age, to an undocumented teen struggling with poverty and his sexuality, to a privileged boy in San Francisco who attends one of the country's most elite private schools, 2nd Verse: The Rebirth of Poetry endeavors to initiate the viewer into a world rarely seen or acknowledged by the general population.