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May 15, 2008 08:18
NOEL CLARKE--Grows Up w/ "Adulthood"
Directors of color worldwide are up against the directorial typecast that originated with American director, Spike Lee; a yoke he's finally pulled off--now appreciated by Hollywood as a trailblazer and a bona fide cinema auteur. Spike is truly a survivor, having withstood the "controversy" subtext always applied when describing his work and artistic vision.
So those coming after him are conveniently labeled "urban, gritty, and controversial because they "deal with race" thus the market abides and if their films survive major film festivals, they will surely end up at the very "urban" Magic Johnson Theatre or in an "urban/inner-city" demographic market or straight to DVD.
But the market has shifted a bit due partly to the recognition that hip-hop is a global youth movement--and an insanely lucrative one--that defines youth culture everywhere via music, art, and activism; and coupled with the fact that American "urban" cinema a la Spike Lee, John Singleton, Ice Cube, etc. has had a profound influence on young directors and given us City of Hope , Le Haine , Totsi , and the skillful How She Move.
Noel Clarke has been dubbed the Spike Lee of Britain and trying hard to rise above that label and insists that his stories are universal films about youth culture worldwide. And he's right, British "urban youth culture" is more multi-ethnic and the 'hood is a very different space so the stories are very different from U.S. based "urban" tales that are almost exclusively black.
But what also is true ,unfortunately, meets the specific criteria that fuels that "controversy" and perpetuates the same stereotypes despite being authentic and real. So the debate goes on spite of Clarke's insistence that his work is different
His 2006 film Kidulthood (he wrote the script and starred as Sam) directed by Menhaj Huda is indeed a universal saga: teen sex, drugs and violence but taking place in the Labroke Grove section of London.
His latest and his directorial debut is the sequel, Adulthood which will be released June 2008 and concerns his character (Sam) be released from prison after serving time for murdering and trying to put his violent past behind.
Read the Variety article as Noel discusses his experience as a director.
So those coming after him are conveniently labeled "urban, gritty, and controversial because they "deal with race" thus the market abides and if their films survive major film festivals, they will surely end up at the very "urban" Magic Johnson Theatre or in an "urban/inner-city" demographic market or straight to DVD.
But the market has shifted a bit due partly to the recognition that hip-hop is a global youth movement--and an insanely lucrative one--that defines youth culture everywhere via music, art, and activism; and coupled with the fact that American "urban" cinema a la Spike Lee, John Singleton, Ice Cube, etc. has had a profound influence on young directors and given us City of Hope , Le Haine , Totsi , and the skillful How She Move.
Noel Clarke has been dubbed the Spike Lee of Britain and trying hard to rise above that label and insists that his stories are universal films about youth culture worldwide. And he's right, British "urban youth culture" is more multi-ethnic and the 'hood is a very different space so the stories are very different from U.S. based "urban" tales that are almost exclusively black.
But what also is true ,unfortunately, meets the specific criteria that fuels that "controversy" and perpetuates the same stereotypes despite being authentic and real. So the debate goes on spite of Clarke's insistence that his work is different
His 2006 film Kidulthood (he wrote the script and starred as Sam) directed by Menhaj Huda is indeed a universal saga: teen sex, drugs and violence but taking place in the Labroke Grove section of London.
His latest and his directorial debut is the sequel, Adulthood which will be released June 2008 and concerns his character (Sam) be released from prison after serving time for murdering and trying to put his violent past behind.
Read the Variety article as Noel discusses his experience as a director.
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