This is the Life (2008)
(Ava DuVernay, US 2008, 97 min., DCP)
The Good Life Health Food Centre is not a name that would immediately inspire thoughts as fertile ground for a musical revolution, but their weekly hip-hop open mic nights are now the stuff of legend. From 8 to 10 each Thursday at this South Central hotspot, artists were allowed to perform one song as long as there was no “miggitys,” no swearing, and you didn’t touch the paintings on the wall. The discerning crowd would let the artist know if they were doing well or else chant “Please pass the mic!” Out of this supportive atmosphere were born new techniques and new movements that influenced West Coast hip-hop for years. Artists such as Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5, Abstract Rude, and Aceyalone got their start at the Good Life before they went on to recording contracts. This documentary, Ava DuVernay’s first feature film, is a loving look back at a place and time that can never be duplicated.