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Director
Gerald "Gee Bee" Barclay arrived in America
from his native Liberia simultaneously with the (then)
burgeoning hip hop movement. His introduction to hip hop and
cinema rapidly graduated from avid interest to pursuit to
intense dedication, beginning with simply DJ'ing and videos,
fashion shows and parties. Gee Bee parlayed this experience
into a career by enrolling in Borough of Manhattan Community
College as a Communications major.
While still a student, his passion motivated him to begin
honing his skills on such acclaimed projects as the feature
film "King of New York," Spike Lee's "Jungle
Fever" and interning at Miramax films. He then continued
to spiral toward his destiny by working as producer for
Liberty Studios, Master P's No Limit Films and Heavy.com,
Fast forward to today -- Now Gee Bee takes on the film world
with his first solo effort as a full length feature film
director with Bloody Streetz .
In Bloody Streetz Black, the protagonist-antagonist
of the movie, makes his platform crystal. After his son is
killed in a drive-by, he embraces the way of the gun as not
just a lifestyle but a means of avenging his loss.
The crisis is an age-old crisis - man versus himself, the law
of the jungle versus spirituality and conscience. Black faces
the twin demons of love and loss. Equal parts Superfly in Shao-Lin
and New Jack City (revisited), Bloody Streetz paints a
different portrait where the audience sees the man inside the
monster. Director Gerald
"Gee Bee" Barclay sets forth a character that is
both unapologetically street and unapologetically human. Black
espouses the sensibilities that are conspicuously absent from
the character of his hard-livin', hard-lovin' forbears (Shaft,
Superfly, Nino Brown and company).
Love propels him down the road he's chosen with the same
force that it propels him to open himself to his burgeoning
relationship with his lover, Semaji. More a coming-to-terms
film than coming-of-age, Black cannot
escape the blood on his hands no matter how far or how fast he
runs.
With the release of the movie, Gee Bee is
poised to establish his credibility as a writer and director
of the caliber of Spike Lee, shining the light on the stories
that ring true for brothers whose lives are streets - whether
in Brooklyn or Uptown, his native Staten Island or Long
Island. Gee Bee's list of extensive credits as a video
director include Wu-Tang's, M-E-T-H-O-D Man, Mystery of
Chess Boxing, Heather B's If Heads Only Knew, Tru's
Hoody Hoo, Silkk the Shocker and Mystikal's It Ain't My
Fault and ILL and AL Scratch's Where's My Homies.
To watch the trailer, listen to the soundtrack
or get a sneak peek at Gee Bee's upcoming Wu Tang Clan
documentary, better yet to PURCHASE the movie and soundtrack
log on to:
www.bloodystreetz.com
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Gerald
Barclay |
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