In Other Words, which premiered at the British Film Institute in London, was written and produced by Brixton poet and founder of Poetic Unity, Ragz-CV, and is certainly worth ten minutes of anybody’s time.
The documentary features three young poets from London who tell of their personal experiences and struggles with mental illness, whilst at the same time portraying an image of modern-day London.
The documentary follows the individuals in their home environment and their ability to convey their struggles through the art of poetry makes this an incredibly powerful and emotive piece.
Lucrecia Seline Augustin, 25, from East London is passionate about helping others and is a trustee of the registered charity Poetic Unity.
Jamal Khan, 21, is a poet from East London and is looking turning his life around after a spell in prison by striving to make a positive impact in the community.
Tevin Vassell, 22, is a poet from Brixton who is passionate about the issues of mental health and he endeavours to raise awareness about it amongst other young people. Tevin is also a volunteer at Poetic Unity.
The documentary was an idea Ragz-CV wanted to create for a long time, and so entered the Listen to Britain 2017 competition. In Other Words was one of 12, 10 minute films to be picked out of 200.
Commenting on the response to the film which aired on the BBC, Ragz-CV said: “It has been a great reaction and it has been great to get a film highlighting the importance of poetry out there.
“The only criticism was that people wanted it to be longer.”
It is wonderful to hear young people speak so eloquently and use the power of words to get across the complexity of the challenging issues which they and many other young people face in the world today.
It is clear from their performances what an important part poetry has played in their development in allowing them to express themselves.
The poetic performances are incredibly powerful and emotive and the Brixton Blog gives it 5/5*.
In Other Words is available to watch and download on BBC iPlayer for another 11 days. It will then remain in the British Film Industry archive forever.
Poetic Unity formed 2 years ago and the charity has since helped develop and educate thousands of young people in London.
