HG05970930
BROOKLYN BOHEME
Directed by Diane Paragas & Nelson George

In this inspiring, dynamic and colorful documentary, filmmaker Nelson George explores a singular neighborhood in Brooklyn that gave rise to an African-American arts movement in the late 20th century as vibrant as the Harlem Renaissance.

Through interviews with Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Branford Marsalis, Rosie Perez, Vernon Reid, Lisa Jones Chapman, Lorna Simpson, Toure, Saul Williams, Kevin Powell, Talib Kweli, Carl Hancock Rux, and many others, Brooklyn Boheme celebrates the rise of a new kind of African American artist and chronicles an important chapter in African-American history.

In the late 1970s, young black artists of every stripe, attracted by the proximity of the Village and affordable housing begin to move to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Despite being a haven for crime, drugs and prostitution, the first seeds of a new renaissance were planted.

In 1986, the success of local resident Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It transformed the neighborhood into a magnet for artists. Block and house parties created close-knitted personal and creative relationships, and facilitated collaboration. The Brooklyn Moon caf¨¦, and Spike Lee's production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, became epicenters for a creative movement.

In the late 1990s, as crime fell and the NYC real estate market boomed, the gentrification of the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area intensified. Today, many artists have left, but a few stalwarts remain - hoping to revive a community that was once such a mecca for young black artists. Brooklyn Boheme is a celebration of that creativity as well as a powerful illustration of the central role community plays in the construction of one's social, creative, and personal identity.

Reviews
~ "A celebration and elegy for a scene that faded away in the face of real estate pressures and gentrification." - The New York Times

~ "A revelation." - Slate

~ "An interesting slice of black Americana, this is recommended." - Video Librarian
DVD
84 minutes
2011
 
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