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Yamakasi - Les samouraïs des temps modernes is a 2001 French movie written by Luc Besson. It demonstrates the skills of the Yamakasi, a group of traceurs who battle against injustice in the Paris ghetto. They use parkour to steal from the rich in order to pay off medical bills for a kid injured copying their techniques.
The documentary followed the rap group for a year (in 1998), from rehearsals at the Pee Wee studio in Aubervilliers, the beginning of their tour in La Réunion, through Lorient, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nancy, to the Zénith in Paris. The documentary also explores Joeystarr's legal troubles, life within the group, issues with the media, ... In cross-cut and intimate interviews, Joeystarr and Kool Shen reflect on the significant events of this entire journey. They discuss their shared experiences, their "couple life," the emergence of their collectives, B.O.S.S. (the start of the Skyboss show on Skyrock) and IV My People, and the possible future or the end of NTM.
A documentary at the heart of French rap in 2002: its beginnings, its history, its influences. Featuring interviews, freestyles, and previously unseen live performances from French rap artists. Dance, graffiti, and DJing are explored with most of the pioneers of the movement, such as Squat, Dee Nasty, Crazy B, Lionel D, Kool Shen, DJ Mehdi… as well as Mode2 and Jon One for graffiti. The 1 hour and 20 minutes alternate between footage of concerts and artists in the studio, like DJ Pone, with commentary primarily from rappers but also from other key figures. A remarkable retrospective and work beginning with archival photos from New York.
Finally, the first documentary on B.O.S.S.! It took 12 months of filming to capture the eventful life of one of the most famous French hip-hop collectives and its leader: JOEYSTARR.
