Echoing the Basquiat Soundtracks exhibition and as part of the West Side/East Side weekend, in partnership with the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Philharmonie de Paris screens the musical movie Downtown 81.

In 1980, stylist and photographer Maripol conceived the idea of a film that would capture the creative spirit of the New York underground before it disappeared. Based on a script by critic Glenn O’Brien, this fable immortalises some of the leading bands of the moment: DNA, Tuxedomoon, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, James White and the Blacks, Walter Steding, The Plastics... Directed by photographer Edo Bertoglio, the film follows the wanderings of a broke painter and musician, performed by Jean-Michel Basquiat, over the course of a day and a night.

Downtown 81 (New York Beat), 73 minutes, color. French subtitles.
Script: Glenn O’Brien
Director: Edo Bertoglio
Producer and artistic director: Maripol
Executive producer: Michael Zilkha

Courtesy of New York Beat Films LLC, 2023