Washington IV

Four Walls: A Spoken Word / Slam Poetry / Guerrilla Freestyle

“What is a poet? An unhappy man who conceals profound anguish in his heart, but whose lips are so fashioned that when sighs and groans pass over them they sound like beautiful music.”

Søren Kierkegaard - Diapsalmata, Either/Or (1843)

Four Walls Trailer
download City by the Sea

What is Four Walls?

Four Walls began as a postmodern art documentary presenting performance poetry, more specifically, slam poetry. However, over the course of two years of filming, it transformed into something much greater. The vision was fine-tuned and re-focused on four artists from the spoken word group known as BlackSunshine. In getting to know these artists we formed friendships that stretched beyond the walls, both literal and figurative, of the documentary. As a result, Four Walls grew beyond the presentation of slam poetry, transforming into a portrayal of the lives of these artists.

We came to understand that Four Walls is more than merely capturing slam poetry; it is also about the plight of the artists behind the words. Four Walls delves into the lives of a handful of Knoxville’s finest poets to discover who they are, their motivation, their purposes behind their poems, and how they cope with the obstacles of life. We strive to convey an element of the human condition that arises in those who fight for recognition in the face of hardship.

Through the medium of still photography and film, the day-to-day lives of these artists are portrayed, as well as the emotions behind their words. Moreover, we hope to convey the passions, personality, and the flesh and blood of the artists of performance poetry.

Research

The research for the documentary 4 Walls utilized a qualitative ethnographic approach as the main method to examine and understand Knoxville slam poets in their own environment. Using this form of ethnographic research allowed me to have an in-depth understanding of the poets’ behavior and the reasons which governed that behavior. Focusing on four artists from the spoken word group known as BlackSunshine, I was able to study and interpret the cultural diversity that emanated from the slam poetry movement. The fieldwork for this project consisted of over a year and a half of observation and study. The 4 Walls documentary allowed me to present the results of this holistic research methodology in a form that gave first hand accounts of each of the poet’s struggles and successes. Some techniques I used were direct first hand observations of the poet’s daily behavior, participant observations, and conversations with different levels of formality ranging from small talk to long interviews, one on one, and in a group setting.

This method was appropriate because it allowed me to break down the barriers between being a spectator at a slam poetry competition and that of a fly on the wall that could see the poets as they lived their lives from day to day. Instead of merely hearing the words they spoke with such conviction on stage, I saw first hand where those convictions came from. I experienced the entire birth cycle of each of the artists’ poems. It’s as if I saw the words incubating inside the poets, growing into sentences and phrases, and then culminating into that of a poem.

I saw the real and the raw, not just the slam competitions that people clamor and applaud for after the words are uttered on stage. It took this time intensive research to establish a rapport with the poets. Over a period of time, I was gradually welcomed into the “family” and worked to establish a close relationship with each of the poets I had selected to focus on. Each poet was different, requiring a fine mixture of respect, honesty, and time. Once I
was accepted with open arms, I was allowed to observe unobtrusively to record the genuine candor of each poet. Over time I was allowed to interact with the poets’ families, friends, and acquaintances.

That I was accepted at this level shows the level of involvement and intimacy I established with the artists. This required a great deal of personal time and resources in order to get a true insight into the inner workings of the poets. Sometimes using this ethnographic approach included taking part in rather jeopardous situations. For example, upon multiple occasions, I was placed in risky neighborhoods ridden with drug addicts and prostitutes. On one particular night, we were even stopped by local authorities and detained for being suspected of armed robbery. Luckily, at the time of the robbery, we were filming for 4 Walls at one of the poet’s residences and had video evidence of our innocence. Having the ability to conduct in-depth interviews in each of the poet’s environments allowed me unparalleled access to the “why’s” and “how’s” of each of their situations. Through this research I was able to discern the details of each of the poet’s lives and how they ultimately overcame the obstacles to make their voices heard.

-G.W. Rogers

Four Walls - Slam Poetry (Part 1 of 5)

4 Walls - S.T.A.R.R. Leaves Knoxville

For more information visit:
http://4wallsfilm.com/
http://www.brassknuxfilms.com/

For a PDF preview of the book click here