A fiery mix of documentary, spoken word poetry, and dramatizations, Every Child is Born a Poet explores the life and work of Piri Thomas, the Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican author of the classic autobiographical novel DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS (1967).

The film traces Thomas' path from childhood to manhood in New York City's Spanish Harlem, El Barrio, from the 1930's through the 1960's - from home life during the Great Depression to membership in barrio youth gangs to six years in prison to his triumphant emergence as a renowned writer. Thomas' coming-of-age story is counter-pointed with verité scenes of his on-going work as an educator and activist empowering marginalized and incarcerated youths.

Thomas is also well-known as one of the pioneers of spoken word poetry, a form of poetry performance that has its roots in hip hop, performance art and the Beat poetry movement. By performing aloud, spoken word artists succeed in taking poetry out of the academia and onto the streets, breaking down barriers and making it accessible—both in its creation and its consumption—by the poor, the young and by other marginalized communities. Thomas mixes his spoken word poetry with Latin jazz, Caribbean music, salsa, rhythm and blues and gospel music. His prose and poetry about struggle, survival and identity have continued to impact and inspire audiences around the world.

A stylized, genre-spanning production, Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas weaves together a spell-blinding collage of contemporary and archival footage with provocative mixed-media artwork, as it examines Thomas' use of creative expression as a means of confronting poverty, racism, violence and isolation. Pulsating with an original Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz score, Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas is a riveting portrait of a life lived through struggle, self-discovery, and transformation.

Broadcasted nationwide in the USA on the PBS series INDEPENDENT LENS in April 2004.

|USA|2003|58 mins|documentary|English|Jonathan Robinson, dir|

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