Dichter und Kämpfer: Poetry SLAM!

Poetry slam is a poetry competition on stage, a giant spectacle with a rock concert atmosphere. The slammers fight for the favor of the audience, which decides the winner of the evening with the volume of its applause. With around a thousand slams a year, literary performance art has almost gone mainstream in Germany. The highlight of the year is the German-language championships, and the annual "National" is the largest festival of stage literature in Europe. DICHTER UND KÄMPFER follows four poetry slammers from different cities through their year between championships: Philipp "Scharri" Scharrenberg, 2009 champion, who uses his title to try to establish himself as a cabaret artist. Sebastian23, champion 2008, who is trying to make slam even bigger and better known as organizer of the 2010 championships. Julius Fischer, 2011 team champion, who stands more for the off-culture roots and views the commercialization of the scene with a skeptical distance. Theresa Hahl, who as a young newcomer becomes a scene star and tries not to let her sudden popularity overwhelm her. DICHTER UND KÄMPFER shows what drives people to put their skin and hair on the line for the vote almost every night - and also how the poetry slam scene is changing, on the cusp of becoming mainstream. DICHTER UND KÄMPFER was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival 2012 in the section "Perspektive".