Move Ya Body: The Birth of House (Documentary)

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Director: Elegance Bratton
Producer: Chester Algernal Gordon,Elegance Bratton
Screenwriter: Elegance Bratton
Cinematographer: Lisa Rinzler
Composer: James Newberry
Editor: Kristin Williams Sprague,Jeremy Stulberg A.C.E
Production Designer: Tommy Love
Costume Designer: Derica Cole Washington
Featured Subjects: Lena Waithe,Vince Lawrence,Marshall Jefferson

An oral history of the origins of Chicago house music, as told by the people who lived it.

House music was birthed in Chicago in the early 1980s, taking its name from downtown club the Warehouse. Everything else about its origins and foundational lore remains disputed, especially by those who were there. Passing the mic over to seminal figures including Vince Lawrence, Kevin Aviance, Jesse Saunders, Celeste Alexander and Lori Branch, Elegance Bratton’s documentary tells the story of how house arose out of both disco and racial tensions in Chicago – and how what began as a largely Black, queer genre was subsequently coopted, exploited and turned into an industry.

Bratton – whose 2022 Golden Globe–nominated narrative feature The Inspection chronicled the experiences of a gay African-American marine – brings a sociopolitical lens to one of music’s most joyous genres. Recreating stories of racism and homophobia from Lawrence’s youth, including the infamous Disco Demolition Night at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, Move Ya Body: The Birth of House offers an enlightening examination of a time when the music reigned.

“Blends civic and music history effortlessly while also having a truly banging soundtrack. You will learn a lot, get angry several times, and then get lost in the sick beats and dance yourself clean.” – RogerEbert.com


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