Project Feel presents “The Stories We Tell”, a digital campaign intended to examine and uplift poetic stories rooted in ancestral themes in the form of spoken word performances. As children of immigrants ourselves, we’re deeply interested in the experiences of those who have migrated themselves, are children of immigrants, or examine the connection to their heritage/ancestral roots. By shining a light on these powerful stories through our cinematic lens, we seek to explore the impact these experiences have had on each poet’s life and artistry, no matter how close or distant they may feel to their ancestry.
During National Poetry Month, many poetry communities and poetry lovers come together to celebrate phenomenal poets and their craft. As the poetry community continues to evolve the genre of poetry, Project Feel strives to collaborate with poets and poetry platforms to amplify these creative voices and share their expressive stories to the world.
Who is Leilani?
Leilani is an award-winning spoken word poet and multi-hyphenate theater creative originally from Honolulu currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She is passionate about writing on the issues and injustices that she sees in the world around her and has a strong belief that spoken word is a powerful platform in amplifying unheard stories and marginalized voices. She has performed all around New York City and Honolulu, has featured at various venues and has won multiple awards in the slam circuit. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre Studies from Chapman University and is also the founder and host of the Sakura Series, a writing workshop and open mic series dedicated to providing space for growth and self development. Writing and performing is an honor and privilege for her, and she can’t wait to continue doing this for the rest of her life.
Credits:
Director: Hector Sanchez Jr. ( edie.wyse)
Producer: George "Rare" Herrera ( realrealrare)
Edit: Hector Sanchez Jr. ( edie.wyse)
Music: Franco Colon ( francocolon)
Production Assistant: Anthony Alvarez ( anthonys_aura )
VHS footage shot by Bruce D. Campbell
Footage of Japan Post WWII: ua-cam.com/video/AGRaGuY0HsQ/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/AGRaGuY0HsQ/v-deo.html
Speech by President Truman: ua-cam.com/video/n_A8LPtuX5c/v-deo.html
Footage of rise in Asian hate crimes: ua-cam.com/video/br8O_6WIZz0/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/-PWCumPwsDs/v-deo.html
Music from "Avatar the Last Airbender" Composed by Jeremy Zuckerman ( jeremyzuck)
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IG: (@project.feel) project.feel​
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Twitter: (@projectfeelNYC) ProjectFeelNYC
www.projectfeel.com
#spokenwordpoetry #storytelling #ancestors #immigrants #newyorkcity