Films 2 Peep @ SXSW 2010: Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

I’ve been so caught up in the all the hype-ness surrounding the music portion of this year’s SXSW that I almost completely forgot about the equally cool film component that also takes place every year. My girl FinchyKing hit me up about this amazing film being shown in a few weeks titled, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, which is a documentary from his good friend Tamara Davis shot two years before his death in 1988.

The film which is set against a great jazz backdrop shows never-before seen footage of the intelligent artist during some of his most personal and intriguing moments which may turn out to surprise many.

In his short career, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a phenomenon. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200, and became best friends with Andy Warhol. Appreciated by both the art cognoscenti and the public, Basquiat was launched into international stardom. However, soon his cult status began to override the art that had made him famous in the first place.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is showing Saturday March 20 - log on to SXSW.com for more details and peep the films trailer below.