Directed by Sara Driver
“A treasure for those interested in Downtown New York’s heyday and a demythologized Basquiat.” —John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter
Sara Driver explores the pre-fame years of celebrated American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and how New York City, its people, and the tectonically shifting arts culture of the late 1970s and ‘80s shaped his vision. Conveying Basquiat’s personal magnetism, eccentricity and non-stop creativity without romanticizing him, the documentary serves as another chapter in the ongoing effort to rescue Basquiat from his own hype.
To tell this story, Driver worked closely and collaboratively with her friends and other artists who emerged from the No Wave Scene of the Lower East Side including Nan Goldin, Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, and many others. As they participate in the film with their thoughts, period film footage, music, images, and anecdotes of their young friend, they help visually tell the story of Basquiat’s downtown NYC—pre-AIDS, President Reagan, the real estate and art boom, and before anyone was motivated by money or ambition. 2017, U.S., DCP, 78 minutes. Rated PG.
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