"Deaf Jam," story of ASL spoken word slam scene, premieres on Independent Lens Nov. 3

From PBS:

Deaf Jam, the story of deaf teen Aneta Brodski’s (pictured) bold journey into the spoken word slam scene, premieres on the Emmy® Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 10 PM (check local listings).

Longing to explore and fully participate in the hearing world, Aneta dives into ASL poetry, a vibrant three-dimensional art form where body movements convey meaning.

ASL poetry liberates a deaf poet from the confines of spoken language. There is no paper or text. Rhymes are measured in hand shapes and meter in movements. Images cut and dissolve as its verses transcend all spoken word.

In a remarkable twist of fate, Aneta, who is Israeli, meets and then collaborates with Tahani — a hearing Palestinian slam poet. They create a hearing/deaf duet touching on their shared personal and cultural experiences — generating a new form of slam poetry that speaks to both the hearing and the deaf.