All the Streets Are Silent - Convergence of Hip-Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997)

Australian Premiere pres. by Groovescooter Sept-November 2021
SYD Nov Tix: bit.ly/3xGY6Zx | MELB: bit.ly/3w7RIsW | PERTH: bit.ly/3xHzD5K
Director: Jeremy Elkin | In downtown Manhattan in the late-‘80s/early 90's, the streets of New York were anything but silent, they were instead the site of a dynamic collision between two vibrant subcultures: skateboarding and hip hop. Including stories about renowned skaters like Harold Hunter (immortalised in Larry Clark’s film Kids), this tastefully rendered documentary takes us from the DJ booths and hip hop-focused dance floors of multi-level nightclubs like Mars, to the founding of brands like Zoo York and Supreme showcasing a convergence that would lay the foundation for modern street style. Narrated by Eli Morgan Gesner, All The Streets Are Silent brings to vivid life this important moment in history, as the emergence of an urban style and visual language forged a lasting cultural impact. Examining music, race, society, street life and culture, it’s full of archival footage featuring legendary characters and figures from the downtown scene.
Not only is this the first opportunity to view this film in Australia and hear the original score created by legendary hip-hop producer Large Professor, it boasts a terrific on-screen lineup of guests including Darryl McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.), Rosario Dawson, Kool Keith, Fab 5 Freddy, Justin Pierce, Keith Hufnagel, Jefferson Pang, Bobbito Garcia, Stretch Armstrong, Leo Fitzpatrick, Mike Hernandez, DJ Clark Kent, Kid Capri. Both hip hop and skate enthusiasts will find much to enjoy in this love letter to New York which comes off like Paris Is Burning and Kids having a baby. It also shows that Sydney is not the only city to face the scourges of gentrification and development, where community cultures nonetheless flourish in the face of restrictions, providing havens and sense of family for youth and the young-at-heart the world over.