Philadelphia: Under the Skyscrapers
Mission Statement
Through out history cities have always been considered the cultural hub for the region. Since the recent push of globalization, cities, or urban areas, have become more and more centered on international culture. While this should be considered a great advancement in history, the success often leads to the homogenization of urban culture. Cities begin to be talked about in a way that is discussing what they should or should not have and not about what they already have. Despite being overshadowed, urban culture has continued to expand and grow on the streets and underground. Often any art or social statement originating in the streets is associated with malice, kept at a distance, and worked against. In Philadelphia this misinterpretation of the urban arts is especially prevalent.
Our documentary aims to end the adversary that is held against urban, or street culture specifically dealing with the subculture of hip-hop and the elements associated with it such as graffiti, and street styled dance. It is often these disciplines that are able to give the most honest account of both urban life and political strife. With issues such as police brutality, racism / prejudices , and poverty becoming more prevalent in recent news we believe that this audio and visual narrative that we are creating will help to bring more understanding by producing a comprehensive, empathetic and intriguing account of the history and the ability of urban art, as a culture, to bring about change.
WIth the combination of personal interviews from rappers themselves, as well as the community they have an effect on, live performances, and shots of the street murals and graffiti that are swept across the city, our documentary offers a personal account of culture from the voices of the street themselves. Due to our lack of involvement with any big name media institution, we have delivered a documentary that is unbiased and as much made by those in front of the camera as those behind it.