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DIRECTORS BIO
James Spooner came in to film making out of a passion to tell his story. As a kid, bouncing between the deserts of California and the streets of New York he was no stranger to duality. Like most kids who end up with Mohawk at 14, he had a hard time finding a home. The thing that separated him from the other kids fashioning spikes and leather was he is black. In those days, the early 90s, there was no misinterpreting the word nigger from white kids, Ebonics had not been put into vogue yet. Walking down the streets of Brooklyn you didn't see black kids with bright red hair or a ring through their eye brow. Things are different now, or so one would think.
Although James lost the brightly colored hair and the multiple facial piercing he was still feeling lost and alienated. He had managed to live 23 years of his life swinging from culture to culture, community to community but there was always deep sense of loss. Something was missing. He decided to look deeper into himself and thus began a huge metamorphosis.
He realized that punk rock, for all the things it had taught him, DIY (do it yourself), all things it had given him,( cross country travels) and all the fun it provided to him ( who doesn't like jumping off a stage into a crowd of people), had also nurtured the suppression of what would become one of the biggest parts of his life, his identity as a black man.
After coming to these conclusions he wanted to talk to other black people who grew up in punk and see how similar there experiences were. It quickly became apparent to him that he would have been a much more fulfilled person at a much younger age had he put energy into seeking out these connections sooner in life. Upon this realization he set forth to create this documentary as a support system for every black kid, for every outsider, for every Afro-Punk.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I came into this film with no formal training. Shoot, I came into this with no informal training. But I was born to make this film. Spending half my life as a punk rocker and all of my life as a black man who else to this story.
I maxed out my credit card and bought a computer and as I worked to pay it off I did the research. Finding black punks around the country was not as hard as I thought it would be. I started with the folks I knew of from the New York scene. Carley from Candira and Chaka of Burn/Orange 9mm. being among the first. I also just walked around the lower east side with my eyes open.
After a few months of beans and rice I paid off my computer and maxed out my card again and bought my video camera (sony vx2000). I was ready to start inteviews. Word started to spread quickly and folks from all over were emailing me about there friend from so and so that wanted to be interviewed. I quickly started to find out who I would be focusing on.
I planned a month long cross country tour, going from state to state just like the old days doing punk travels. Of course the big difference was I was to collect interviews and footage. A few bands did a benefit show for the project and I was on my way. The tour had summed up to, 34 interviews, 8 shows, most of the lifestyle footage for Matt Davis in Iowa and I met Mariko who for me summarized a lot of my experience in the punk scene as a black person. Total dedication to the scene often equaling total disregard racial identity.
I started doing "Day in the Life" stuff back in New York with Tamar Kali and Moe Mitchell.
Fast forward a year and here we are, 80+ interviews, who knows how many shows, more hours figuring out final cut pro as I edited then I care to remember and two trips cross country, it's done. Proof that if you want to do something you can just do it.
James Spooner - director April 2003
If you would like to host a screening "Afro-Punk" or my new film "White Lies Black Sheep" at your University or social event email [email protected].
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