Doc 10 2025 – Move Ya Body: The Birth of House
Doc 10, the annual all-documentary film festival, has returned to Chicago for its 10th year. That’s right, it’s finally 10 for 10! As always, the festival plucks the best documentaries from other festivals, such as Sundance, Tribeca, Hot Docs, DOC NYC, and other top-tier film festivals nationwide. For many local film enthusiasts, this will be the first chance to see these extraordinary films; some will even get an exclusive premiere here, and many often wind up receiving Oscar nominations.
While it kicked off last week, on April 25th, and runs through Sunday, May 4th, there are still plenty of chances to catch a variety of thought-provoking, entertaining, and enlightening documentaries. A few films will be screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center, while the rest will be in the Lincoln Square neighborhood at the Davis Theater.
Tickets and more info can be found here.
Below is a brief review of a documentary that will play tonight:
MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE
(U.S., 97 min.)
After premiering at Sundance in January, “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House” makes a fitting visit to Chicago, considering this specific dance music came from the South Side in the early 1980s. Director Elegance Bratton (who co-produced with Chester Algernal Gordon)touches on just about every possible angle when it comes to the origin of the music. One obvious claim is that the movement, which turned into a global phenomenon (before branching out to New York City and London), derived from Black culture and the Black experience, and, like so many music genres, wound up being appropriated, incorporated, and exploited by white artists (Marky Mark and Madonna are used as examples). The documentary posits that House and Hip-Hop was born out of Disco, and in the Summer of 1979 “Disco Sucks” was spreading like wildfire, especially at DJ Steve Dahl’s infamous Disco Demolition at Comiskey Park turned into a riot that arguably fueled the already present racism and homophobic hostility. That night was witnessed by Vince Lawrence, who at the time was a young black man in love with music and dreaming of a particular pawn shop synthesizer. Bratton includes Lawrence in interviews, along with musicians/producers Jesse Saunders and Marshall Jefferson, and clips from the late Frankie Knuckles, while weaving cinematic recreations of personal experiences. “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House” is a compelling, illuminating, and loving tribute to a style of music that is still alive and well today.
RATING: ***
screening: Wed. 4/30 at 7 pm (CST) at Davis Theater – followed by Q&A with producer Chester Algernal, Vince Lawrence, and executive producer Roger Ross Williams
The “Move Ya Body” party continues at Smart Bar after the screening!
