The award winning film was produced by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant and originally aired on PBS in 1983. Chalfant, a noted New York sculptor was fascinated with the graffiti art on the New York subways. Chalfant searched streets and station platforms from the Bronx to Brooklyn to document the graff, which was featured in two best selling books.
Until now, the documentary has been seen only by a few through movie screenings and film festivals. The original directors cut, pre-broadcast with ten extra never before seen footage is featured on the DVD, along with such Graff artists as Duro, Seen UA, Mayor Koch, Dondi, Cap, Case 2, Skeme and Mare. Such Breakers as the Dynamic Rockers and The Rocksteady Crew are also featured. Detailed Biographies are also included on the DVD.
The DVD also features a soundtrack with such artists as Troublefunk, The Fearless 4, The Treacherous 3 and Melle Mel & Grandmaster Flash. Winner of the Grand Prize for documentaries at the Sundance Film Festival.
KRS-1 said it best. “If you want to know what hip-hop is really all about, see a film called Style Wars.”
