Slam (1998)

Directed by Marc Levin
104 minutes, newly restored

Starring Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, and Bonz Malone, Slam is a powerful work of cinema verité that portrays the story of a young Black performance poet, Raymond Joshua (Saul Williams), who is arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge in a Washington, D.C. jail. Although the confining prison walls do little to shield him from danger, it is within those walls that Raymond establishes his identity, strength, and voice and meets a prison gang leader (Bonz Malone) and a prison writing teacher, Lauren Bell (Sonja Sohn). Bell inspires Raymond to use the power of creative expression to free himself from the struggles and demise of the Black male as another victim of the judicial system. Sublime poetry and heart-wrenching realism, Slam is itself a testament to the importance and the impact of artistic expression.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and Caméra d’Or at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival

“SLAM anticipated a cycle of poetry via the spoken word movement that democratized the voices and voicing of poetry for new generations,” says Saul Williams, screenwriter and star of SLAM. “We are still experiencing its ripple in popular culture and academia, worldwide. With its focus not only on poetry, but criminal justice and marijuana, SLAM remains a testament of the times.”

“Marc Levin’s SLAM is a landmark film that defies easy categorization. This emotionally powerful and technically innovative film deserves to be seen on the big screen.” – Emanuel Levy, Variety