Videograf #1

"This film explores how freedom of speech — including dissent — is afforded to all Americans, and shows freedom of expression in art, music, dance, architecture, and science. The film also emphasizes the importance of the individual’s contribution to the whole of society and demonstrates how a productive and creative society is formed by the open and respectful exchange of ideas. The film was written, produced, and directed by William Greaves" (National Archives).

On the evening of April 30, 1971, a standing room only audience of local literati and feminists packed New York City’s Town Hall to watch Norman Mailer, who had just written “The Prisoner of Sex,” grapple with a panel of passionate feminists. The subject was Women’s Liberation, an issue on which Mailer seemed like the devil’s own advocate.

This one is dedicated to all writers. The long awaited and much anticipated Affiti Gray #1 is now available, feat. A solid variety of bombing, freights and walls along with a good amount of live painting actions. Containing new as well as classic footage, this video is pure graffiti – no filler content. Featuring tons and tons of quality fr8s from writers around the U.S., this video will surely please. Classic SF Graffiti. Throw ups, pieces, and tags from various writers. Live piecing on walls, live fr8 painting, live bombing and live transit painting and more. Check this one out, and enjoy the great music aswell!

Kingsley, Kevin, and Hailey are three ambitious eighth graders preparing for a single exam that could determine their futures. They’re competing for admission to New York City’s Specialized High Schools, elite public institutions that have produced Nobel Prize laureates, astronauts, judges, artists, and national leaders. But as the kids await their test results, a citywide battle is raging over who should attend these schools—the kids who score highest on the entrance exam or the kids who improve diversity. Featuring interviews with kids, parents, and education leaders, If You Can Make It Here places young students at the center of a high-stakes cultural conflict over the future of equity and excellence in public education.

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An incredible historic document showcasing the roots of Old School Hip Hop movement with all its disciplines involved: Djing, Mcing, Breakdancing, and Graffiti. Featured in the "NYC: Urban Image" show at MoMA PS1 1983.

A documentary about a very shy feral cat adopted by people at the public tennis courts in NYC's Riverside Park and how she came to trust a very few of them.

In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.

Documentary on the pickup basketball community surrounding Albany's Washington Park aka the Graveyard.

Eleven-year-old New York City public school kids journey into the world of ballroom dancing and reveal pieces of themselves and their world along the way. Told from their candid, sometimes humorous perspectives, these kids are transformed, from reluctant participants to determined competitors, from typical urban kids to "ladies and gentlemen," on their way to try to compete in the final citywide competition.

A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.

A year in the life of troubled Australian graffiti artist Justin Hughes.

Set in New York City, the epicenter of a phenomenon cropping up in communities across the United States, "Nursery University" reveals the oddly competitive process of nursery school admissions. The film tells the story of five families attempting to place their toddlers in preschool classrooms that have limited space and high price tags.

Lexington, Kentucky, 2004. Four young men attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists in the history of the United States.

The best of Led Zeppelin's legendary 1973 appearances at Madison Square Garden. Interspersed throughout the concert footage are behind-the-scenes moments with the band. The Song Remains the Same is Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden in NYC concert footage colorfully enhanced by sequences which are supposed to reflect each band member's individual fantasies and hallucinations. Includes blistering live renditions of "Black Dog," "Dazed and Confused," "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love," "The Song Remains the Same," and "Rain Song" among others.

A documentary about composer/producer/performer JG Thirlwell and his musical alter-egos, including Foetus, Steroid Maximus and Manorexia. Featuring interviews with Thirlwell, Matt Johnson (The The), Alex Hacke (Neubauten), Michael Gira (Swans), Richard Kern, Lydia Lunch and more.

Not for the faint of heart, this film tells the shocking (and true) story of some of the most notorious inmate slashings in New York City's infamous holding pen, Riker's Island. Documentary director Troy Reed trains his lens on the infamous correctional facility and explicitly captures some gruesome inmate slashings, police corruption and just plain survivin' that took place on the hardscrabble island during the late 1980s and early '90s.

The New Breed Documentary chronicles a cassette compilation put out by Freddy Alva & Chaka Malik in 1989. New York Hardcore was undergoing a transition at the end of the 80's & this generational shift was exemplified by the bands that were featured on the compilation.The story of the tape is at heart the story of NYC & kids that grew up in it's five boroughs as well as related outposts in Long Island/Yonkers. A unique set of social/economic circumstances during the 70's & 80's forged the individuals that went on to make up the New York Hardcore scene. This full length documentary profiles band members/fanzine editors/record label heads & fans that made up this vibrant scene with narration by NYHC book author Tony Rettman. It's unheard of for a feature film to focus on an outdated analog format like a cassette compilation but it is through the eyes of these individuals that a spotlight is shined onto those tumultuous times & what is ultimately a tribute to a bygone era.

From the Boogie Down Bronx and beyond, the history of the b-boy.

This film visits many of the neighborhoods and landmarks on Manhattan Island and occasionally includes a history lesson. The neighborhoods include the Bowery, Chinatown, Herald Square, and Times Square. Some of the architectural highlights are the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Temple Emanuel, the Central Park Zoo, and the Rockefeller Center complex. The film ends with a visit to a dining room in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where the Xavier Cugat Orchestra entertains.