Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box

I had seen that excellent movie in a cinema festival in 2002 in Athens, and I, naturally, expected to see it, some day, being released in DVD. But, it seems, that the director has a different opinion, as long as I have read an interview of his. Well, excuse me, Mr Joey Garfield, but I was a b-boy too, back in the days, and still am, and I also did exactly what you say regarding a lot of the same way, that many people learned how to break dance; through TV movies, commercials etc. But I strongly believe that your refusal not to release such a marvelous work into public availability is the most absurd, ironic, and even the most paradoxical thing in the history of the world cinema and art itself. How come the very producer of an art masterpiece like this one, locks it away and keeps it unknown? This brilliant documentary deserves its acknowledgment and, at least, should take its place next to "The Freshest Kids" and "Scratch".

I had the pleasure of seeing "Breath Control" at a local film festival and it was my favorite movie of the whole event. "Breath Control" is a funny, interesting and exciting tribute to the days when hip hop was fun.It was informative and a real tribute to the many people across the world who see hip hop as a way of life. The movie is a good time, it was well directed and put together, I could tell that the director took the subject seriously and he did the beat box crew a big solid with this film, I was smiling the whole way through.

Went to see the European premier of Joey Garfield's 'Breathe Control' at the Edinburgh Film Festival - was totally blown away, as was everyone in the audience judging by the rapturous applause at the end of the film.

The film is about a little discussed topic - the unnofficial 'fifth element' of Hip-Hop, beatboxing. Filmed completely out of Garfields pocket and on his own camcorder, this is documentary filmmaking done for the pure passion the producer has for his subject matter (being an ex-beatboxer himself). It featured the history and future of beatboxing, the science of it, as well as lots of classic beatboxers and up-n-comings. The original's Doug-E-Fresh, Buff (from the Fat Boys), Biz Markey (my personal fave) and others, through to the new school - Rahzel, Scratch and others. He had also made a little bit on the international appeal of Beatboxing with international beatboxers such as Edinburgh's own MR6.

Garfield was there to answer questions at the end of the film, and he turned out to be a very honest, funny and normal geezer - none of the pretentious bull***t that normally goes along with filmmakers. Asked whether he beatboxes, he gave us an impromptu lick which he dug out from his past as a beatboxer, which met with much applause.

I'd recommend this film to anyone - even if your not into hip-hop or even into music, you can't help but get caught up with the vibe of the film. As one guy in the Q&A said - "i hadn't heard of beatboxing before sitting in this cinema and now I wanna go try it". I guarantee you will come out after seeing it trying to bust ill grooves from the back of your throat.