Planet B-Boy
| Planet B-Boy | |
|---|---|
 Promotional movie poster | |
| Directed by | Benson Lee |
| Produced by | Benson Lee Amy Lo Executive producers: Johnny Lee Chris C. Kim Danny Huang |
| Starring | Gamblerz Ichigeki Knucklehead Zoo Last For One Phase T Ken Swift Storm Thomas Hergenröther Trac 2 |
| Cinematography | Vasco Nunes |
| Edited by | Benson Lee Jeff Marcello |
| Music by | Woody Pak |
| Distributed by | Elephant Eye Films |
Release date | March 21, 2008 (USA) |
Running time | 101 min. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English |
Planet B-Boy is a 2007 documentary film that focuses on the 2005 Battle of the Year while also describing B-boy (commonly known as Breakdancing, although this term is disputed by some) culture and history as a global phenomenon. This documentary was directed by Canadian-American Korean filmmaker Benson Lee, shot by Portuguese-American filmmaker Vasco Nunes, and released in theaters in the United States on March 21, 2008. It was released on dvd on November 11, 2008.
Planet B-Boy features extensive footage of the dancers in competition as well as street performances and various rehearsals by the different crews from around the world. The narrative of the film centers on five particular crews (representing France, Japan, South Korea, and the United States) in their quest to win the Battle of the Year, and it includes multiple interviews with the B-Boys and their families. The film also includes interviews with German B-Boy and promoter Thomas Hergenröther (who founded the Battle of the Year competition) and legendary B-Boy Ken Swift of the Rock Steady Crew.
This film has been shown at numerous festivals around the world[1] after originally making its debut on April 26, 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival[2]. Planet B-Boy has received many strong reviews[3][4][5] and currently has a 91% rating at Rotten Tomatoes - with the consensus that "Lee's dazzling documentary makes a compelling argument for breakdancing as an art form"[6]. In March 2008 it was revealed that director Benson Lee was working on a feature adaptation of Planet B-Boy[7].
Awards and Selections
Best Documentary Feature Award – 26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival[8]
Audience Award - 26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival[8]
Moviesquad DOC U! Award – 2007 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam[9]
Official Selection – 2007 Tribeca Film Festival[10]
Official Selection – 2007 Sydney Film Festival
Official Selection – Edinburgh International Film Festival 2007[11]
Official Selection – 33rd Deauville American Film Festival
Official Selection - 2008 Constellation Change Film Festival
Official Selection - 2008 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival[12]
References
- ^ Planet B-Boy review at variety.com. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ B-boy film debuts at Tribeca
- ^ Planet B-Boy review San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ Movie Review: Planet B-Boy The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ Movie Review: Planet B-Boy Monsters & Critics. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ Planet B-Boy at Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
- ^ News and Features - Floor Wars Tribeca Film Festival website. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
- ^ a b Om Shanti Om and Planet B-Boy Win Audience Awards SFIAAFF page. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ And the winners are... IDFA page. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ Planet B-Boy at Tribeca Film Festival film guide archive. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ Planet B-Boy at Edinburgh International Film Festival page. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ^ 'Planet B-Boy' Lands in Philly Hyphen Magazine. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
External links
- Planet B-Boy at IMDb
- Planet B-Boy at AllMovie
- Official website
- Interview with Benson Lee
- Planet B-Boy director aims to give break dancing its due March 2008 interview with the New York Daily News.
- Conversation with Benson Lee, Director of Planet B-Boy April 2009, State of Mind Music