Spike Lee Receives Mill Valley Film Fest Award, Suddenly Recalls He Made Sucker Free City'

"Esteemed filmmaker Spike Lee received a Tribute Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival this weekend. While on stage with Oakland-based actor Delroy Lindo, who starred in four of Lee's films, Lee suddenly remembered he directed the 2004 film As the Chronicle reports, Lee was on stage with Lindo, who most recently starred in the Ryan Coogler film , when it dawned on Lee that he'd shot a film entirely in San Francisco. Struggling to remember the film's name, Lee asked the audience to pull up IMDB."

"SFGate writes that the film, which highlights conflicts among white, Black, Latino and Asian street gangs in San Francisco, didn't get picked up as a series because Lee couldn't commit to filming more than the pilot episode. Per SFGate, the film explores the concept of displacement through various San Francisco-specific themes, including the history of the formation of Chinatown, the Navy's divestment from Hunters Point, and artists being pushed out of the Mission."

"During Saturday's event, Lee credited his neighbor for giving him a Super 8 film camera when he was young, which determined his fate as a filmmaker. I say my prayers and blessings when I go to bed every night because it could have gone this way or that way, Lee said, per the Chronicle. It wasn't a straight path, and if I did not go see (my neighbor) that day, I would not be here. You would never have heard Spike Lee."

Spike Lee received a Tribute Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival and appeared on stage with Oakland-based actor Delroy Lindo, who starred in four of Lee's films. Lee recalled directing a 2004 film shot entirely in San Francisco and asked the audience to pull up IMDb to remember its name. The film was directed by Lee and written by San Francisco-raised Alex Tse, and served as a pilot for a Showtime series that never materialized because Lee could not commit to filming beyond the pilot. The film highlights conflicts among white, Black, Latino and Asian street gangs and explores displacement through Chinatown history, Hunters Point divestment, and artists being pushed out of the Mission. Lee credited a neighbor's gift of a Super 8 camera in youth as a decisive factor in becoming a filmmaker.

Read at sfist.com