Film for Haan808, Scientific by junbae

An introspection of freedom, counter-culture and identity through the minds of raw battle b-boys in the Bay Area.

Award-winning dance documentary film:

Brooklyn Film Festival

FEST - New Directors/New Films Festival (Portugal)

Cucalorus Film Festival

Sehsüchte (Germany)

In/Motion Chicago's Dance Film Festival - Audience Choice Award

DUAF (Downtown Urban Arts Festival)

Synopsis:

What started out in the South Bronx by black and hispanic youths in the late 70s has gone global, now an official Olympic sport. Yet, the breaking scene remains largely beneath the surface of mainstream media that has inevitably shaped its raw underground culture.

Underground follows B-boys from the Bay Area, as they introspect on how the dance form has shaped their identity and freedom. Majin Vu, one of the highly competitive B-boys in the West Coast, reflect on the intricate relationship between freedom and fear. He contemplates that self-imposed 'anti-freedom’ allows more freedom of movement that ultimately sets you free from various social stigmas. Nasty Ray explains how medical marijuana is intricately tied to its culture, responding to society's dismissive attitude towards dancers in America. Scarface wins the battle to Switzerland, setting off a visual montage of his crew as a reflection of their friendship and community at large. The film interweaves all four elements of hip hop (DJing, rapping, b-boying and graffiti writing), paying tribute to the culture that has inspired youths worldwide to shape their own identity.