new jean-michel basquiat documentary uncovers the teen & pre-fame years that shaped the artist

Dedicated to the pre-fame years of Jean Michel Basquiat, Sara Driver’s documentary ‘Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat’ explores the artist’s journey as he makes his way through New York City’s rapidly changing art and culture scene of the late 70s and 80s that helped to shape his vision. Without romanticizing the grittiness of the time period, the manic non-stop creativity, and darker vices, Driver employed the help of other artists like Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, Luc Sante who emerged during this time to capture the reality of the scene and time period. Providing their personal memories from the time period, archival footage, music, and images, ‘Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat’ reveals an under-examined history of one of the 20th century’s most important artists.

The documentary Opens May 18th at Landmark Opera Plaza in San Francisco and Landmark Shattuck in Berkeley.