First Thursday Films will be screened at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway in North Minneapolis.
We Rock Long Distance weaves together the sounds and stories of three Twin Cities hip-hop artists – M.anifest, Maria Isa, and Tou SaiKo Lee – as they journey home to Ghana, Puerto Rico, and Thailand to create unique and unexpected connections across generation and geography.
Starting in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, one of the best-known sites for underground hip-hop, the film follows M.anifest to his home in Accra, Ghana, where he connects with hip-life artists from across the country, performs in front of his family for the first time and explores connections with his world-renowned grandfather, the composer, poet, and scholar J. H. Kwabena Nketia.
The film then joins "Sota Rican" Maria Isa as she explores the links between hip-hop, reggaeton, and the folkloric arts of Puerto Rico she grew up performing, bomba and plena. Follow her as she traces her musical and familial genealogy from San Juan and Loiza to the campos of Vega Baja.
Finally, in Thailand, We Rock Long Distance follows Tou SaiKo Lee's ongoing work using hip-hop and poetry to create new and stronger bonds between Hmong Americans and Hmong in Southeast Asia, as well as between youth and elders - some of whom have never heard of hip-hop. Tou SaiKo Lee also learns more about kwv txhiaj, a Hmong practice of oral poetry, in an attempt to build a bridge to this centuries-old practice through hip-hop.
In addition to overturning dominant stereotypes and creating unexpected cross-generational connections, each of these artists are well-known for strengthening their local and global communities through their words, music, and actions. We Rock Long Distance amplifies their stories, offering an intimate look at the process of creation while engaging artists and audiences in conversations about music, home, tradition, and family that resonate long after the recording sessions have ended and planes have left.
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY
Justin Schell is a documentary filmmaker, freelance writer, and PhD student based in Minneapolis, MN. He has co-directed the film Travel in Spirals with Tou SaiKo Lee and is currently completing his feature-length documentary, We Rock Long Distance, which follows the lives and music of three Minnesota hip-hop artists with roots far beyond the Land of 10,000 Lakes. His video work has been part of an exhibit at the University of Minnesota’s Nash Gallery, broadcast on MTN, and featured online on The Progressive and The Huffington Post. He has written articles for a variety of publications, including the Twin Cities Daily Planet, The Liberator, Rain Taxi, MNArtists.org, Asian-American Press, Mshale, and NewMusicBox.org. You can see more of his work at his website, 612 to 651.
COMMUNITY PARTNER
FIRST THURSDAYS @ THE CAPRI
A series of films presented in partnership with the Capri Theater on the first Thursday of every month, with speakers invited to lead post-film discussions with audiences.
Browse First Thursdays @ The Capri films