The Stories We Tell

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. (https://www.instagram.com/edie.wyse/) Producer: George "Rare" Herrera (https://www.instagram.com/realrealrare/) Edit: Hector Sanchez Jr. (https://www.instagram.com/edie.wyse/) Music: Franco Colon (https://www.instagram.com/francocolon/) Production Assistant: Anthony Alvarez (https://www.instagram.com/anthonys_aura/ ) VHS footage shot by Bruce D. Campbell Footage of Japan Post WWII: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRaGuY0HsQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRaGuY0HsQ Speech by President Truman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_A8LPtuX5c Footage of rise in Asian hate crimes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br8O_6WIZz0, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PWCumPwsDs&t=146s Music from "Avatar the Last Airbender" Composed by Jeremy Zuckerman (https://www.instagram.com/jeremyzuck/) Follow us! IG: (@project.feel) http://www.instagram.com/project.feel​ tiktok: (@projectfeel) https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRdPSdU1/ Twitter: (@projectfeelNYC) https://twitter.com/ProjectFeelNYC http://www.projectfeel.com #spokenwordpoetry #storytelling #ancestors #immigrants #newyorkcity

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 Jean-Sebastien Surena? (https://www.instagram.com/jeanthemachine_/) Jean-Sebastien Surena is a Haitian-American poet and spoken word artist from Queens, NY. In June 2021, Jean published his debut chapbook Quarantined Thoughts. The collection of poems captures the height of the pandemic, while also serving as timeless pieces. He co-directed a short film based on one of its pieces, “Unbroken,” and was selected to six film festivals, winning “Best Poetry” and “Best Performance.” Jean has featured in the first installation of Jewel Tones, a traveling concert series, Inspired Word’s NYC Voices, poetry me please, and most recently, the inaugural performance of Whispers of Rhythms, a poetry and dance fusion series co-produced by the Poetry Society of New York. Jean is now working on his second collection of poems. You can find some of his work published or forthcoming in Pulsebeat Poetry Journal, Umbrella Factory Magazine, Orchards Poetry Journal, and others. Credits: Director: Hector Sanchez Jr. (https://www.instagram.com/edie.wyse/) Producer: George "Rare" Herrera (http//www.instagram.com/realrealrare/) Edit: Hector Sanchez Jr. (https://www.instagram.com/edie.wyse/) Music: Franco Colon (https://www.instagram.com/francocolon/) Production Assistants: Anthony Alvarez (https://www.instagram.com/anthonys_aura/ ), Christine Arquero (https://www.instagram.com/christine.com_/ ), David Alvarez, Daniela Sofia (https://www.instagram.com/d.corde/) Creole Voiceover: Ketsia Lerebours Special thanks to Suswana Chowdhury (https://www.instagram.com/suswana_/) Follow us! IG: (@project.feel) http://www.instagram.com/project.feel​ tiktok: (@projectfeel) https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRdPSdU1/ Twitter: (@projectfeelNYC) https://twitter.com/ProjectFeelNYC http://www.projectfeel.com #spokenwordpoetry #storytelling #ancestors #immigrants #newyorkcity #shortfilm