Downtown 81

Downtown 81 was filmed during the winter of 1980-81 and is a' tribute to the art and music scene in New York during the same period. The film depicts a day in the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's (1960-1988) life but it's not a documentary - rather a slightly exaggerated and romantic Image of reality. As an actor Basquiat, who then was 19-years old, was a natural talent. Downtown 81 captures an influential artist during his early years, but also shows the growing new wave and hip hop scenes. Debbie Harry, Melle Mel, fab Five Freddie and The Plastics and also DNA, John Lurie, Vincent Gallo and Basquiat's 0wn band Gray take part in this film. In postproduction the money run out and the film was never finished until this year. As a voice-over you hear the actor Saul Williams (who played the main character in Slam, which was screened at the Stockholm International Film Festival in 1997).

Medverkande
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Deborah Harry, David McDermott: Producent
Maripol: Manus
Glenn O´´Brian: Foto
John McNulty: Musik
Plastics, Blondie etc.: Talat språk
English