Lisandro Perez-Rey’s documentary follows the Cuban hip-hop collective: La
Fabri-K. The film follows them from their inception in Havana to their tour of the U.S, climaxing
in the show at the Apollo Theatre, Harlem where the group perform alongside hip-hop heavyweights The
Roots. Their emotional journey into the heart of hip-hop performance offers a personal insight into their
infectious music and their struggle to be heard, in a film that features legendary personalities such
as Afrika Bamtaataa.
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From AFI Film festival where the film played in Nov 2005: Blasting the screen
with red-hot beats, intense musicality and sure-footed confidence, director Lisandro Pérez-Rey has crafted
a slamming documentary about the talented hip hop artists emerging from Cuba’s rising cultural vibrancy.
Two of Cuba’s leading hip-hop groups, Obsesion and Doble Filo, have formed the collective La Fabri-K
in an effort to showcase their art and to raise political consciousness. Live musicianship is central
to their art, showcasing a burgeoning hip-hop scene in which traditional percussion, guitar, violin,
cello, sax and piano are layered under rhymes. In the documentary, La Fabri-K travels from run-down
Cuban apartments to the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem to open for the Roots and Kanye West. Creating
myth and poetry from music and politics, La Fabri-K hypnotizes the audience with the rhythm’s
pull. The film demonstrates that hip-hop is a universal language, and the marginalized and oppressed
will always find their voice.
Lisandro Pérez-Rey follows the subjects with a seamless flow of kinetic energy—weaving together interviews,
performances and day-in-the-life verité footage—creating a vibrant and infectious documentary. With a
nod to Life and Debt, La Fabri-K/The Cuban Hip Hop Factory is an evocative and riveting
mosaic of Cuba and a group of friends, mentors and musicians. |
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Year: 2004
Director:
Lisandro Perez Rey
Cast:
Obsesion and Doble Filo, have formed the collective La Fabri-K
Run Time: 65 minutes |
