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Sara Driver frames the rise of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat against a vivid portrait of the New York underground art scene from 1978 to 1981.

From a couch-surfing 18-year-old to a precocious talent on the cusp of stardom, Basquiat’s early years are set against the frenetic vibe of a crumbling New York City and its creative lower East Side. Told through archival footage and images, the film offers a comprehensive look at the politics, music, graffiti and experimentation that shaped the art scene as told by the artist’s friends and colleagues who were there: filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, curator Diego Cortez, graffiti artists Al Diaz and Lee Quiñoes, hip-hop pioneer Fred Brathwaite aka Fab Five Freddy and many more.

Ages 15+