Films on artists and their creative process
(2009) 87 minutes
Meet Socalled – a.k.a. Josh Dolgin. He’s a witty charismatic, multi-talented, 30-year-old musical wizard whose unheard-of mix of hip-hop, funk, salsa rhythms, and klezmer is turning the heads of musicians, audiences and cybernauts around the globe. His latest music video, “You are never alone” has two million hits on YouTube. He plays to sold-out crowds throughout France and to thousands in London, New York, Berlin, Krakow, and Moscow.
Socalled’s “Jew funk” music is on the vanguard of hip-hop’s sampling culture. Fred Wesley, trombonist and arranger for the James Brown band and master clarinetist David Karkauer are the latest in an eclectic list of world-class musicians performing with Socalled. Others include stage and cinema icon Theodore Bikel, classical cellist Matt Haimovitz, rapper C-Rayz Walz, country singer Katie Moore, and Feist producer Gonzales. The “Socalled” Movie will capture performances at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, the Olympia Hall in Paris, as well as tours in Europe and North America.
The “Socalled” Movie is an exuberant exploration of the creative process of a wildly original artist on the cusp of international success. Shot over two years, the film will be constructed out of a weave of vignettes chronicling Socalled’s life, character, and musical process. An unconventional portrait of an artist whose wildest dreams just might come true.
Co-produced by reFrame Films and the National Film Board of Canada.
