Film

Downtown '81

2001 · 1h 12m · Drama · Comedy · Music

IMDb

6.9

Rotten Tomatoes

79%

Metacritic

54

The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, whose lives (and performances) we peek into.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean (archive footage)

Saul Williams

Jean's Narration (voice)

Anna Shroeder

Beatrice

Debbie Harry

Fairy Godmother

Giorgio Giomelsky

Landlord

Coati Mundi

Self

Debi Mazar

Peppermint Lounge Dancer

George Quinones

Graffiti Artist

Walter Steding

Self

Steven Brown

Self - Vocals, Tuxedomoon

Eszter Balint

Self

Kid Creole

Self - Vocals and Guitar, Kid Creole & The Coconuts

Fab 5 Freddy

Graffiti Artist

Arto Lindsay

Self

John Lurie

Self

Michael Holman

Michael

• Edo BertoglioDirector
• Glenn O'BrienWriter
• MaripolProducer
• John McNultyDirector of Photography
• Vincent GalloOriginal Music Composer
• Pamela FrenchEditor

Official Trailer

Release date

July 13, 2001

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 12m

Genres

Drama, Comedy, Music

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