For Three Teenagers, Easing Life's Struggles Through Poetry.

On paper, ''To Be Heard'' may sound like the kind of production that's better at ''raising awareness'' than at holding anyone's interest. In a straightforward verite style, it tracks the intertwining trajectories of three underprivileged New York City teenagers whose lives are transformed by their participation in a pedagogically progressive slam-poetry program at University Heights High School in the Bronx. There are inspirational triumphs and painful setbacks, and, yes, the students read their poems in sincerely unguarded performances. But check your cynicism at the ticket booth. ''To Be Heard'' is one of the best documentaries of the year. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]