Sid Docs: Shake the Dust

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Monday, September 21st, 2015
7:00 PM

Presented by the Sid Williams Theatre Society

SHAKE THE DUST is a feature documentary film from director and photographer Adam Sjöberg and rap superstar Nasir “Nas” Jones about breakdancing and hip-­hop culture in the most unlikely places. Ugandan b-­boy Karim narrates this visually stunning tale that weaves a colorful, cultural tapestry of dance, music and stories from the drug-­and-­poverty battered streets of Cambodia, the untouched wild landscape of Yemen, the almost utopian hip-­hop scene in the underground of Colombia, and the embattled and poverty-­stricken streets of Uganda.

SHAKE THE DUST serves to illuminate the complicated but transcendent history of hip-­hop itself. The story follows groups of b-­boys, b-­girls and hip-hop artists in each of these struggling cultures who have surprisingly yet refreshingly found a voice of empowerment, resistance, and community strength in the world of hip-­hop.

Hip-­hop music, and the acrobatic breakdancing culture that arose in tandem with it, may have started on the streets of the Bronx, but its reach is now decidedly worldwide. SHAKE THE DUST chronicles the influence of breakdancing, exploring how it strikes a resonant chord in the slums, favelas and ghettos of the world and far beyond with a universally appealing energy.

With an all-­embracing soundtrack of international hip-­hop samples (including original music by Nas created for the film) and some of the most jaw-dropping breakdancing moves ever committed to film, SHAKE THE DUST is an inspiring tribute to the uplifting power of music and movement. By highlighting the stories and moves of some of the most talented breakdance crews in the poorest urban neighborhoods of Colombia, Yemen, Uganda, and Cambodia, Sjöberg weaves together the stories of rappers, DJs, and b-­boys across three continents, revealing how breakdancing today acts as a positive force for social change.