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Movie poster: This Is the Life (2008)
🎬 Movie

This Is the Life

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2008 · 97 min Documentary Music
5.8 / 10 · TMDB

In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

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📋 Film Details

Year 2008
Country United States of America
Genre Documentary, Music
Director Ava DuVernay
Runtime 97 min.
Rating TMDB: 5.8/10 (8 votes)

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The film constructs a vibrant mosaic through archival footage and candid interviews, relying on the personal testimonies of the movement's pioneers. It explores not just a music scene, but a cultural oasis that fostered a new philosophy.

What lingers after viewing is the raw, intellectual energy of a seminal moment and the voices that dared to redefine a genre. — MovieFinder Editorial

Director: Ava DuVernay

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With friends, to debate every performance. Perfect for underground connoisseurs.

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