The story is not true but it could be. It’s all here. The hip-hop before hip-hop. The struggle of kids who grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in New York, South Bronx, in what must have been one of the most difficult times in the United States, 1970. A city that danced to the sound of disco and beginning to discover the beats and the rhymes of what in the 1980s was to be hip-hop. The Get Down arrives this Friday at Netflix. It is the first television series of eccentric Australian director Baz Luhrmann. It took ten years to happen but Luhrmann could not be happier with the debut, tells the PUBLIC. In the year that Hollywood fervently discussed the lack of diversity, the director gives us the story of a marginalized community with a handful of new talents.
It is strange, however that this very American story is told by an Australian, who neither lived in the United States. “I’ve thought of that before you get involved, but the truth is that New York attracted me always. All that was good was coming out of New York, “he says, sitting at the table with several European journalists, explaining that at some point then actually change Australia by the United States. He admits: not lived anything that today gives us this series. “It’s not my story, but always intrigued me where would such creativity.” Without realizing it, search here, search there, talk with this and that, and he found himself immersed in the history of hip-hop. “And I thought, what can I do to tell this story?”
So come to Nelson George, known American journalist and one of the most respected voices in the black community, also the author of several works on. hip-hop culture. But not only. The director was surrounded by some of the most important protagonists of the movement, as Grandmaster Flash – the hip-hop is now one of the most influential genres of popular music, he played a crucial role. And producer of the series that also is played by Mamoudou Athie.
“I think I have the largest database of this period, such as photographs. I realized that if I wanted to do, for example, the biography of Flash, could not only be a person to tell it. And I thought we had to have a history of these real characters from a fictional group. The result is that when we see them we think that could be true even Flash. Those kids could have existed, “he says in response to PUBLIC. The Get Down is “very realistic”, guarantees, although a fancy hand, always present in his work. Let’s remember to The Great Gatsby , Australia or Moulin Rouge . “I had to amplify some things but everything has a factual reference.”
for Nelson George, this is the most valuable asset of the series. “When Baz came to me with this idea of having young people at the center of the plot that were not known, I knew this was going to work, “says next to the creator of the series, which held the first of 12 episodes – on Friday in However, they are available only six, since Netflix decided to divide the series into two sections (the second has not yet announced date, but are expected to arrive in 2017). “This story had to be counted from the point of view these people, people like me in my twenties, who did what many Americans think they did, “he explains.
This is therefore the story of a group of kids from the Bronx who are finding life as any teens, loves a life to evenings out. The difference is that everything happens a little ugly and glamorous side of New York. A poor neighborhood, marked by violence and chaos.
We are in 1977. Ezekiel (Justice Smith), whose parents died tragically and is raised by his aunt, is a good kid who puts into words the story of your life . Write everything you feel, especially love for Mylene (Herizen Guardiola), who dreams of being the next Donna Summer, but is trapped by the father of conservatism (Giancarlo Esposito, one of the few veterans of the series, alongside Jimmy Smits). Q hen Ezekiel realizes, with the Shaolin Fantastic help (Shameik Moore), the writing can combine music, his life takes a new direction. From there follow together as MC and DJ, respectively -. And Grandmaster Flash to guide them
Shaolin makes known a New York unimaginable to Ezekiel and his group of friends, brothers Kipling: Ra-Ra (Skylan Brooks), Boo Boo (Tremaine Brown Jr.) and Dizzee (Jaden Smith). A New York that takes advantage of abandoned buildings for large parties until morning.
“We had to train hard to get into that mindset of the 1970s, got to know really about the time to really you live here,” begins by saying Jaden Smith. For the young actor, the presence of people like Nelson George, Grandmaster Flash or grafitter Pink Lady – in Jaden Smith series is an aspiring graffiter – made all the difference. “We were even educated in what,” he says, highlighting “all the music of the series as the choreography and wardrobe.” “It’s very inspiring and makes you wanna see more.”
Costumes and scenery have finger the usual partner Luhrmann, his wife Catherine Martin, who is also executive producer of the series. In an interview with Publico, the winner of four Oscars counts as work in The Get Down was unlike anything he did. “Whenever you draw something that has a certain period or a glow something spectacular, you already halfway done, because it will always be more appealing,” he says, giving examples of The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge . “The challenge here was to have a limited palette to work, which forced me to focus on the character’s personality. We must see that we are dealing only with pants, t-shirts , polo shirts, sweaters and a pair of sneakers. “ It took many hours of research, many archival images. “And I went back to the series and the films of that time as the Taxi Driver . Tried that the series was very precise. “
So much so that the name itself has a real meaning, he says. “The get down is the part of the song that everyone wants to dance.” In other words: is the term used by Flash to describe what today are the breaks explains producer, also highlighting aa collaboration “precious” the rapper in the musical part. “It’s as if he were the Ezekiel and older were to tell your story. He also grew in this period, was a great source of knowledge. ” But despite the importance of rap In the note, the series is not a musical, at least in the classical sense. “The music is so well integrated in the series that is part of the narrative, it seems very natural. People who might have an aversion to music on the movies or series will not have a problem here. At all. “
Negros but not slaves
The criticism seems to have rendered, although the first episode raises some doubts. Writes the Hollywood Reporter that joining the series depends on how much you like Baz Luhrmann’s work, stressing, however, that the story gets better as it develops and director of the stroke disappears. All his eccentricity recognizable effects is the first episode. But Luhrmann is perfectly aware of that. He was indeed to warn, in London, the first episode can be confusing “because it is an introduction to that world.” “Only then will the development of the characters,” he says. Despite only having made the start of the series, followed the entire process, this were not your project:. “The largest ever”, in his own words
And probably the most expensive also. They run the rumors that this is the most expensive series ever Netflix with an exorbitant budget of about 120 million dollars (108 million euros). Luhrmann does not answer, laughs and says not to believe in all that is said
In one aspect , criticism is consensus:. Here is a series with the mirror diversity, a year in which both he spoke of representation deficit in Hollywood and at the precise moment in the US debate police violence on the black. “For ten years working on it and in ten years they were always the same characters. I will be very happy if you contribute in some way to the dialogue we need to have, “says the director
.” I think this is one of the mantras of Netflix: have more representation in the lists in its portfolio, “he says, for its part, Catherine Martin. “I feel so proud to be associated with a project that has so many different people with backgrounds so different. To be honest, when I was doing the series, was so entangled in history and quality of representation did not I think. But when I see the wonderful work done by these actors and the way they tell a part of its cultural history, I am proud of them. “, He says
Nelson George has no doubts:” Series of these lead him in most series of these. “” I’m glad to be part of this dialogue, but the fact is that we will create a new generation of stars. it is a kind of showcase to a number of new talents that will continue and establish diversity patterns of television and film in the next 20 years, “says the author
again CATHERINE.” Someone said on the Internet when the trailer was revealed :. ‘Finally a historical series about black culture that has no slaves’ never thought of that but I felt proud it makes sense, it’s a very heroic story are boys in difficult circumstances to make the dominant music today “<... / p>
PUBLIC traveled at the invitation of Netflix
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