The Prince of Broadway
The Prince of Broadway
The Prince of Broadway
USA 2008
directed by
Sean Baker
screenplay
Sean Baker, Darren Dean
cinematography
Sean Baker
sound
Jesse Flower-Ambroch
David Grohman
cast
Prince Adu, Karren Karagulian, Aiden Noesi, Keyali Mayaga, Kat Sanchez, Victoria Tate
producer
Darren Dean
production
Cre Film
Sean Baker
T 6464799171
E Lilfilm@gmail.com
world sales
Cre Film
Sean Baker
T 6464799171
E Lilfilm@gmail.com
format
35 mm, barvni/colour
running time
102'
Since the second film by Sean Baker, Take Out (2001) was already a mixture of comedy, social drama and documentary film of illegal immigrants, the author wanted to avoid repeating the same subject when filming his third feature film. But when he meet an African immigrant and a seller of fake goods named Prince Abdu, who himself offered his collaboration, the director decided to continue with the topic in his typical realistic style.
To make a film as much a documentary as possible, he used for other roles people from the street, such as illegal immigrants, dealers and thieves. Linda, the mother of little Prince, who suddenly enters into the life of African immigrant Lucky, is Prince’s true mother. The absence of a screenplay and an improvisation create genuine, untypical dialogs, which are enough dramatic by itself. Unobtrusive editing doesn't aim to dramatize and shorten the time, but by allowing the long shots of talks, quarrels and bargaining on the street creates the impression of real time happening. Due to the shortage of money technically weaker HD camera had to be used, but the director/ a cameraman turns this to his benefit, as the shaking shooting and quick changes increase the impression of urban bustle and documentary-like feeling.
Border between documentary and fiction is being obliterated as well as is unclear the border between reality and fake in the lives of immigrants, since it is not clear, whether they are Americans or strangers and or are they selling original or fake goods. But the most important question everybody wants to know the answer to is whether Prince is really Lucky’s child.
The film does not give us the exact answers and it does not reveal the reality of the seen. But despite true relations between actors and question about their real/fictitious nature, the things true and real beyond every doubt step out of the film – feelings that connect people on the screen and affect the audience – regardless of social status and nationalilty.
»It is also an opportunity to show that this film will not just appeal to New Yorkers. True, Prince of Broadway is a real NYC film but its themes are universal. Love, family and friendship are the true themes of the film.« (Sean Baker)
Sean Baker
Born in New York, Baker received his BA in Film Studies in 1992 from New York University. He is known as co-author of series Greg the Bunny. With his first film, Four Letter Words (2001), a study of growing men in American suburbs, he showed an increasing interest in social-realistic films. Such is also his second awarded film Take Out (2004), where he studies story of an immigrant from China. In a similar manner is filmed also his last film The Prince of Broadway (2009).
