Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema (as part of a special Masterclass with director Steve James) this Friday, July 29: HOOP DREAMS
Steve James premiered his epic at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Later that year, the film went on to screen at both Toronto and the New York Film Festival, but was famously not nominated for an Academy Award, generating significant criticism. It was recognized by numerous film critic circles, the Directors Guild of America, the Independent Spirit Awards, and even the MTV Movie Awards, and landed on many best-of-the-decade lists.
Steve James’ intimate yet epic film follows William Gates and Arthur Agee, two African-American high school students, over their entire school career as they try to become professional basketball players. In between them and their goal is real life – and life in the inner city is not always conducive to their dreams. Despite setbacks and tragedies, they and their families remain committed to their dreams of success. The film is not just about basketball – it’s about boys becoming men, coming of age, and navigating their relationships with family, friends, and community. Exploring issues of race, class, education, and socioeconomic status, James’ film serves as a powerful portrait of both the potential of the American dream of making one’s own fortune, and the harsh reality that everyone won’t be able to realize that dream.
what (not) to doc 