What it’s about
Raised in a religious household and feeling slightly oppressed by his mother’s Christian devotion to church and family, young black L.A. musician Youth (Breaker) travels to Europe in the 1970s in search of new horizons. Experimenting with sex and drugs in freewheeling Amsterdam and fringe politics at a Berlin squat, Youth finds his eyes opening to a whole new world of experience..
Why we love it
Oscar-nominated director Spike Lee directs this invigorating filmed performance of the autobiographical, Tony-winning Broadway musical written by musician/performer Stew, who narrates his alter ego Youth’s eventful journey overseas. Deploying his trademark trick bag of cinematic effects (swooping crane shots, jumpy edits), Lee brings visual verve and a celebratory spirit to this irresistible story of a talented young man in search of a personal identity that transcends race.