ABOUT

From Directors Jordan W. Barrow and Matt Edwards, and Executive Producer Rosario Dawson, OUR WORDS COLLIDE is a feature documentary following the lives of five teenage spoken word poets in Los Angeles. A coming of age story, the film documents the poets as they navigate their final year of high school, exploring many of the challenges facing young people today – including identity and expression, transitioning into adulthood and overcoming mental health issues. 

 The film highlights the poets of the Get Lit program – a non-profit organization in Los Angeles educating and empowering young people through poetry. 

 The film seamlessly blends authentic verité scenes and intimate footage, self-shot by the poets. Complimented by stylized poetry performances and animation, the film creates a rich tapestry of mixed mediums that bring the poet’s stories to life. 

Commencing production in September 2019 and concluding in April 2021, the film also captures an intimate glimpse into the lives of young people during the global pandemic. For many of these high schoolers, their senior year was very different than the one they’d always imagined.

 While the film is an exploration of how poetry has impacted the lives of these young people, it’s ultimately a coming of age story. It’s a film about young people finding their voices and having the courage to share their message – one that feels very relevant, and relatable, in today’s world.