We're back in full force. Come to our first meeting in 250 Dwinelle at 7pm on Thursday, Feb 1st to help plan for HIPHOP IN THE PARK 07 and find out about our online publication.
Taste : Keepin' it Reel After Party on Saturday, Nov 18
Yo Berkeley,
Come join us for the after party to the Keepin' it Reel filmfest at the Shattuck Down Low for Los Rakas on Saturday. There's going to be FREE Caribbean food, an art show, music, Phatrick, Treat U Nice, and lots of other glittery things. If you're student it's only 5 dollars!
We'll be jumping off the filmfest with the infamous PBS documentary by Charlie Ahearn on the early days of Hiphop in the S. Bronx. No other Hiphop film compares in the historical and comprehensive footage that Style Wars takes you through. It will lace you with all the elements of the culture while focusing primarily on the development of graffiti styles in the New York subway system of 1982. We get the privelege of looking into the lives of the artists, what the act of graffiti means to them, and how Hiphop culture completely envelops their attitudes, physical makeup, language, way of life, ambitions, and dreams for the future. Ahearn then offers us the other side of the story, those who do not participate in the culture but look from afar, and those who fight against it in what the NYPD calls the war against vandalism.
From the director that brought you Straight Outta Hunter's Point, Kevin Epps puts together a new documentary about upcoming Bay Area Rappers who are trying to make it in the industry. One of them, Mistah Fab, has made it since the film's shooting. Epps follows each artist around in their personal settings, showing the neighborhoods where they cultivate their flow and find inspiration. The film puts into light the extraordinary difficulties that each rapper faces, filled with hopes and dreams of being successful, and then met with the harsh realities of the industry.
Friday, 11/17 - Valley Life Sciences Building 2040
On Friday we will be showcasing two local films about graffiti culture recently coming out of San Francisco. We will begin with the documentary Piece by Piece before exposing how the facts can intertwine into a narrative in Quality of Life. "Take a journey into San Francisco's mysterious graffiti underground. Witness the birth of the movement as told by the people that lived it. Piece by Piece puts you alongside the graffiti writers, police, and local San Franciscans affected by this misunderstood art form. Documenting the last 20 years of creation and destruction, you'll hear the stories and adventures depicting this elaborate movement for the first time in history."
Quality of Life finally brought to the Hiphop film world a realistic and comepeling graffiti narrative, based on the stories of two artists in the Mission district of San Francisco. We dive into their frustration, joy, and explosive energy while viewing how their lives unravel after being caught by the police in the act of painting the streets.
From Los Angeles director Danny Lee, we get a graffiti documentary that tries to tackle some of the new developments of the culture, the integration between the illegal art form and the world of galleries and business. "Rock Fresh is an electrifying documentary on the evolution and world of the graffiti artist. From the street to the gallery. From walls to clothing. From private to worldwide. Our cameras unmask the mystifying process behind graffiti art like never before."
Set in one of Rio de Janeiro's most violent slums, a former drug trafficker uses Hiphop, street rhythms, and Afro-Brazilian dance to transform his community. "Favela Rising celebrates the strength of the human spirit to assert itself in the face of human rights violations, social injustice, and unexpected adversity. Chronicling the rise to greatness of the AfroReggae movement, the film shows how the music and culture of Brazil's underclass transform into a catalyst for grassroots social-change." Portugese with English subtitles.
While documenting hiphop in Cuba, Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi discovers how the culture as well as the music pervades the lifestyles and political stances of the youth. For Eli, "Cuban Hip Hop provides a unique insight into the realities and politics of contemporary Cuba. Experience this as Inventos follows some of the pioneers of this musical movement to their homes, the stage and as they travel abroad for the first time. Inventos embodies the true spirit of Hip Hop, which is to build something that is powerful and useful out of what is seemingly impossible."
This FREE concert is a celebration in honor of California Indians, the first people to honor our relationship with this land. Recognize. They are still here, breathing, living, laughing.
Performances by Native Guns, Olmeca, War Club, El Vuh, and more...
Saturday Oct 14 2006 6pm to 12 midnight Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley campus (close to Telegraph and Bancroft) Free admission, donations requested
