Educational Media Reviews Online

Brooklyn Boheme is an ode to a community and artistic movement centered in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. Each chapter of this documentary traces the confluence of personalities and environmental factors that resulted in a distinct movement of artistic expression emerging from this neighborhood, primarily from the 70s to the early 2000s. Filmmaker Nelson George interviews current and former Fort Greene/Clinton Hill residents, ranging from director Spike Lee and comedian Chris Rock, to jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis and others, to explain the special alchemy of this Brooklyn community.

George argues that the reach of this movement extends beyond that of the storied Harlem Renaissance, in part because it fostered a broader range of artistic disciplines (beyond literary and jazz), from underground hip-hop artists to comedians, filmmakers to poets, and has persisted through several generations. In an era before cell phones, social media, and electronic interfacing; physical, face-to-face interactions that abounded in this community provided the necessary elements for these artistic relationships to thrive.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, though they pursued art in varied forms, these artists all held a common goal: not to achieve material success, but instead to earn recognition for creating art, and not just “black art.” It’s clear that these artists accomplished that, and the roots of that artistic spirit and community persist, in spite of the forces of gentrification and changing social and physical landscapes.

This film is recommended for anyone interested in the historical and cultural roots of the featured artists, and for those in the work and origins of Brooklyn artists from the late 20th-early 21st century.

Please note: contains profanity; suitable for mature adults.