ON
THE
​BEAT

ON THE BEAT - FROM THE STREET TO A STAR, a vibrant, intimate and candid portrait of the Stockholm street dance scene, where contestants prepare themselves and others to win Streetstar, the Scandinavian qualifying competition for Juste Debout, the hip hop world championships in Paris. The competition is decided in dance battles. Here, contestants are pitted against each other to improvise, on the beat, to a song they don't know beforehand. We go backstage to meet winners and hopefuls, DJs, MCs, choreographers, judges, researchers and organizers on a rhythmic journey from exclusion to inclusion, as they bring their own crowd and artistry to the international scene.

ON THE BEAT is both a get-up-and-dance documentary and an inspiring snapshot of a passion driven subculture that offers an alternative route to crime and violence in troubled suburbs, building self-esteem through dance with courage, respect and love.

As inner dramas are released on the dance floor, the question of how dancers find their rhythm becomes an exploration of the enigmatic hip hop culture itself. The answers point towards the ’cypher’ where street dancers in a circle take turns to show off their talent, the way humans have built a community since the dawn of civilization. Form a circle and beat a drum. Here, we all belong. The result is a tribute to the unifying power of dance with ’Each One Teach One’ as the battle cry for these dancing soldiers in a peaceful war. But above all, they celebrate each other.
//Duration: 60 min. In Swedish with English subtitles. 
More info: www.streetstar.se
​Watch trailer

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​Client: Streetstar // Executive Producer: Joachim Hövel, Martin C. Ferretti
www.streetstar.se

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