sf indiefest

Roxie Cinema   2/11/2007   4:30PM

                            2/17/2007     12PM

This ground-breaking documentary reveals the struggles and victories of South Africa's women from the perspectives of three major performers in South Africa’s hip-hop scene.

MC Chi asks if there’s a contradiction of values between African and hip-hop cultures, and if it’s possible to reconcile the two. Her questions thread together the obstacles encountered by fellow sistaz. DJ Sistamatic, challenged by a distorted media portrayal of her persona, candidly addresses the influence of male-formed images of women. World-renowned graffiti artist Smirk finds a way beyond her family’s initial misgivings about her art and prepares to merge a life with hip-hop and motherhood.

With:

G.R.A.: Graffiti, Roman Art

Emanuele Constantini

Italy, 2006, 50 min

US Premiere

“Our generation is bombarded by media messages…You digest it all, message after message, and in this game of messages the writer, or street artist, evolves.”

This energetic film documents a city-approved annual graffiti project in which hundreds of graffiti artists participate to make their mark on long stretches of designated walls. The shopkeepers and residents of Rome don’t all agree that this project brings the walls to life. Some would like “the vandals” arrested and many see scribbles rather than art. The writers, on the other hand see their work as an art form born of the city, where every surface is an opportunity to leave a message.