Watch: Short Doc ‘The Originals’ About Growing Up in 70s Brooklyn

Watch: Short Doc ‘The Originals’ About Growing Up in 70s Brooklyn

by Alex Billington
December 21, 2022
Source: New Yorker

“We basically look the same – but in different shapes.” This fantastic short documentary film is actually an animated story about a group of kids growing up “on the block” in Brooklyn in the 1970s. The Originals is a 10-minute short produced by and released by The New Yorker magazine – available to watch online (view below). It’s made by the director of the doc films Science Fair, Mucho Mucho Amor, and Own the Room. In this short, “Matty Square” Ruggiero and his childhood friends, the Union Street Boys, tell their story of what it was like to grow up in South Brooklyn, where money was tight but friendships were tighter. It’s a classic throwback to the “heyday” of Brooklyn, with the neighborhood watching over, even though they go on to say how violent it was then. The animation adds another layer to the storytelling, because they can’t recreate these scenes with real people, but this paper characters style has its own charm. It’s worth a watch – enjoy.

Thanks to The New Yorker for debuting & hosting this short film. Brief description from their site: “Five friends recount what life was like in Brooklyn in the nineteen-seventies—from the games they played in the street to the criminal elements they tried to avoid.” The Originals is a short doc film that’s co-directed by filmmakers Cristina Costantini (doc director of the feature films Science Fair, Mucho Mucho Amor, Own the Room) & Alfie Koetter (animator / art director on Science Fair, Mucho Mucho Amor, Own the Room). Written by Cristina Costantini. Produced by Cristina Costantini and Alfie Koetter; executive produced by Kathryn Everett, Bryn Mooser, and Walter Woodman. Made for The New Yorker. Featuring original music by Robert Amjarv and Bennett Barbakow. Animated by Jason Kirchner and Alex Booth. For more details on the film and the story behind it, visit the New Yorker page. To watch more shorts, click here. Your thoughts?

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