11.09.2024 | *Graffiti Classic* (US 1983)

Special | MILIEU-KINO

US 80s, 82’, OmU, 35mm

On 11 September we show a groundbreaking film that authentically portrays the hip hop subculture. Director Charlie Ahearn sheds light on the four main pillars of hip hop: graffiti, breakdancing, DJing and rap. The story follows Zoro, a talented graffiti artist who tries to prevail with his art against an often hostile society. He meets other artists and musicians such as Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster Flash, The Cold Crush Brothers and Lady Pink. The movie offers a visual and musical journey full of iconic moments, dynamic breakdance battles and rousing live performances. With a mix of early 80s nostalgia and social-anthropological elements, the film crystallises the optimism and vibrancy of the early New York hip hop scene and shows that the portrayal of the Bronx in film and television at the time as a wild and inhospitable hellhole was perhaps not entirely accurate. The movie is a cultural document that has had a lasting impact on pop culture and is considered a pioneering work that popularised hip hop worldwide.