For some hip hop artists and rappers “being gangster” is something of a trademark, an insignia of authenticity and credibility among their fans. At the same time, keeping up this image, while also being paid a salary for a live performance most of us do not even make in a year working a regular job complicates this image somewhat, which is why some artists go the extra mile maintaining their “gangsta” persona. In their short feature “Dark9 Community” directors Yuhe Lao and Wade Chao take this specific notion and turn it into a satire when a wannabe gangster and rapper has an encounter with some real thugs.
Dark9 Community is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
After numerous successes in his home country China, a rapper aims for the highly competitive US market with the aim of conquering it and also giving the impression he is also an “American gangster”. However, the shooting of his first video, which he scripted and directs, has been a nightmare thus far, especially for the crew and the extras who not only lack direction but also suffer from his capricious nature. Because he has gone over budget and schedule, this has added to the overall tension on set, which further escalates when a group of gangsters demand to know who is shooting a music video on their turf. Seeing his status as “gangster” in danger, the artist decides to turn this into a fight and prove once and for all that he is “for real”.
At a little under seven minutes, “Dark9 Community” has quite a lot to offer for the audience and may just be an excellent calling card for its directors. The main reason is the shift in tone, from hectic to tense, and the blend of various themes and approaches, which may seem chaotic at first, but turns out to be quite entertaining in the end. While the first minutes play more like a blend of music video and satire on the idea of authenticity in the celebrity world, the second half is strongly reminiscent of the kind of gangster flick Asian cinema, especially China and Hong Kong, have become famous for with international audiences.
Check also this interview
Apart from the creativity in its approach to the story and characters, “Dark9 Community” is also technically quite well-made. On the one hand, the aesthetics of the music video, the heightened reality and the cliches that come with it, are apparent (with a distinct ironic touch), and on the other hand, the finale and its epic fight scenes are quite well-executed and edited.
“Dark9 Community” is a very entertaining and funny short feature, poking fun at the idea of “being gangster” and being authentic within the world of celebrities, most specifically the rap world.
