Current Sponsors



Founding Sponsors



To Be Heard is the story of three teens from the South Bronx whose struggle to change their lives begins when they start to write poetry. As writing and reciting become vehicles for their expressions of love, friendship, frustration, and hope, we watch these three youngsters emerge as accomplished self-aware artists, who use their creativity to alter their circumstances.
A verité film, intimately shot over four years, To Be Heard is the story of three friends and the love that develops between them as they evolve as artists. This “tripod,” as they call it, is bound by proximity, circumstance, and poetry. To Be Heard is also the story of how language links people. Pearl is the support and soul of the three; Karina is the passion and heart; and Anthony is the energy and physicality. In a community where friendships are kept tenuous for many reasons, these three build a bond based on language, respect, and the need to survive.
Winner: Metropolis Grand Prize/DOC NYC, Audience Award/DOC NYC, Best Documentary/San Diego Latino Film Festival, Audience Award/Sarasota Film Festival
Official Selection: Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, True/False Documentary Film Fest, Seattle International Film Festival
“Simply astounding….What HOOPS DREAMS was to high school basketball, TO BE HEARD is to slam poetry.” – The Criterion Cast
“…So damned genuine; a great example of good documentary filmmaking.” Indiewire
The DocYard is an award-winning film and discussion series at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, and which also sponsors special screenings and co-presentations throughout the year. Each screening is a new experience as we connect audiences directly with filmmakers exploring the documentary form through insightful post-screening discussions.