Wild Style (1982)

Directed by Charlie Ahearn
82 minutes with an introduction by emcee and producer Graphic Melee (Phillip Gilliam-Cuffee), editor of the blog Today in Hip Hop History

A free community screening to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop.

Widely considered the first hip hop movie, Charlie Ahearn’s Wild Style is a narrative film that captured New York’s break dancing, graffiti and rap scenes with an artful eye and a lens anchored in the community. The result is an enduring early document of American hip hop culture.

Legendary New York graffiti artist Leo Quinones plays the part of Zoro, the city’s hottest and most elusive graffiti writer. The actual story of the movie concerns the tension between Zoro’s passion for his art and his personal life, particularly his strained relationship with fellow artist Rose.