THE HIP HOP PROJECT

DC Premiere sponsored by

Chris "Kazi" Rolle is a firm believer in the transformative power of art.

Kazi's childhood in the Bahamas was troubled and music was an escape from harsh reality. Abandoned by his mother, he channeled his anger through beats and rhymes, and soon realized music's incredible power as a tool for self-empowerment.

As an adult, determined to share this knowledge with others, Kazi hooks up with the New York City-based non-profit Art Start to develop the Hip Hop Project. Working with teenagers to help them realize their creative potential, Kazi teaches both artistic and technical skills. As the teenagers find their voices under Kazi's tutelage, the program draws the attention of rappers, moguls and celebrities impressed with the skill and determination of these talented kids and their leader.

Throughout, Kazi reminds the kids that only by taking responsibility for their actions can they realize their potential as artists. Determined to practice what he preaches, Kazi realizes that he, too, has unfinished business. In the most emotional segment of the film, he courageously returns to the Bahamas to confront his mother who abandoned him.

Matt Ruskin and Scott Rosenberg's satisfying documentary inter-weaves the stories of the nascent teenage rappers with Kazi's own inspiring journey. The result is a relevant statement about leadership and mentoring, expression and self-discovery.

-Amy Dotson

DIRECTOR BIOS
Matt Ruskin worked with Darren Aronfsky during the preproduction and production of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM while a student at NYU. Matt produced and directed THE GLEN OF DOWNS, an award-winning film about the first international protest in Ireland. Matt has been working on THE HIP HOP PROJECT exclusively for more than four years.

Scott Rosenberg, a recipient of the Fuji Film Award, has devoted much of his time to non-profit organizations, including Art Start, an organization founded to help underserved kids transform their lives through the creative process. Art Start has received the President's Service Award and been recognized on the OPRAH WINFREY SHOW. Scott began developing THE HIP HOP PROJECT in 2001.

Print Source:
Matt Ruskin
Pressure Point Films
333 East 43rd Street, #801
New York, NY 10017
212.557.2450
matt@pressurepointfilms.com

PRECEDED BY...GIRL LIKE ME
Kiri Davis
USA, 2005, 8 MINUTES

A young black woman adeptly examines her peers' attitudes on blackness and the body.

Print Source:
Reel Works Teen Filmmaking
357 Ninth St.
Brooklyn, NY 11215

6/17 at 5:45 PM

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