Modesto spoken word scene gets the film treatment – twice

All the world will soon be Modesto poetry’s stage as two new film projects seek to highlight the city’s lively spoken word scene.

Former Modesto poet laureate and current Modesto Junior College English professor Sam Pierstorff is working with Hollywood producer Larry Rattner on an education video and a short documentary to spotlight poetry and spoken word from the Central Valley. The projects came together quickly at the beginning of the year when Rattner, who produced Modesto native Jeremy Renner in his early indie film breakout “Dahmer,” found Pierstorff online while researching.

Rattner has 25 years of experience in the industry, and in more recent years has switched his focus from feature films to educational programming. He reached out to Pierstorff about putting together a video to be used by teachers covering spoken word and poetry in the classroom. But then, when the two began talking, they realized there was also a story to tell about Modesto’s spoken word community.

“Modesto is really rich with subjects. I think a lot of people in Southern California and the Bay Area don’t really know the city. So there’s really an opportunity there to make people on the outside, who don’t understand the richness of the city, aware,” Rattner said.

Pierstorff founded the monthly poetry competition Slam on Rye in 2002. A year later, along with former Modesto arts promoter Greg Edwards, he founded the popular invitational poetry slam The Ill List, which has attracted big-name spoken word artists from across the country. The 40-year-old also has worked with the Stanislaus County Office of Education, Gallo Center for the Arts, State Theatre and other colleges on educational workshops for students.

Slam on Rye folded after 10 years, but returned last year to enthusiastic crowds at downtown Modesto’s Prospect Theater Project. Likewise, The Ill List, which took a hiatus last year, has sold out the nearly 600-seat State Theatre each year.

Pierstorff said he was interested in working on the project with Rattner as another aspect of his educational work and as a way to promote and improve Modesto’s often-maligned image.

“We hope to reverse the stigma that’s strongly associated with Modesto as least-literate, least-educated, most-miserable city,” Pierstorff said. “We want to tell the story of this vibrant, energetic culture we have. We’re trying to say there’s much more to this town.”

To do so, Rattner and Pierstorff are working together to produce the short documentary “City of Slam: Transforming a Community through Poetry” through the former’s EPF Media company. The project will focus on three Central Valley poets – 32-year-old single mom Elizabeth Sousa, 22-year-old MJC student Summer Krafft and 62-year-old poet Jai Gullatt – and how performing spoken word has changed their lives and impacted the community.

“Performing poetry changed me. I don’t think I would be as confident. I wouldn’t be an advocate for Type 1 diabetes like I am,” said Sousa, who started performing six years ago. She said poetry has helped her deal with her daughter’s juvenile diabetes diagnosis and speak out about the condition publicly.

The production has interviewed all three poets, as well as shot their performances and those of other poets, as part of the Big Damn Poetry Slam show last week at the Prospect Theater Project. A dozen poets – from the Valley and Bay Area – took part in the event, which was the culmination of the film crew’s work in town.

Rattner said that after spending two days filming in Modesto last week, the crew will return to Los Angeles to begin post production on the two films, which should last two to three months. The plan is to have them both finished during the summer. The educational video will then be marketed to teachers and school districts while the documentary will be submitted to film festivals.

Krafft, who hosts her own monthly open mike called Poetry Night at the Queen Bean Coffee House, said being part of the documentary is a way to shed light on what too few people realize is an active and engaged community of poets. Her event has been running for more than two years and attracts 60 to 100 people each month.

“I want it to shed light on the good things Modesto has going on,” she said. “And I hope that communities elsewhere realize the valuable poets who are in this area.”

Already, the projects have had an impact on some, including director Jason Jaacks, who is helming the educational and documentary films. He said he has been “blown away” by the passion shown by Modesto’s spoken word performers and fans.

“It’s amazing to see all the people in this place you wouldn’t normally expect,” he said. “And there’s none of the pretentiousness or stereotypes of academia you sometimes associate with (spoken word). It’s just profound to see the dedication of the people here. It’s great that Sam has built this community.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Modesto spoken word scene gets the film treatment – twice."