EXCLUSIVE:Larry Clark, the filmmaker behind the Harmony Korine-scriptedKidsand Brad Renfro starrerBully, has come aboard the music documentaryIt Was Them, from filmmakersEdgar Morais(Heatstroke) andLuke Eberl(Choose Connor), as an executive producer.
Currently in production,It Was Themis a portrait of the highs and lows of Jonathan Velasquez, Eddie Velasquez, Frank Navarrette and Carlos Ramirez, a group of musically talented Indigenous-Latino friends from South Central L.A. who look to find their footing as immigrants in the foreign and labyrinthic streets of Paris.
The film spans over a decade in the lives of the nomads and features an original soundtrack written and performed by the subjects.
Larry Clark, Edgar Morais and Luke EberlGetty/Joanna Correia/Courtesy
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In addition to co-directing, Morais has contributed writing to the film and is producing alongside Eberl.
The U.S.-Portugal-German co-productions team also includes producers Sol Tryon (Sean BakersStarlet, the Oscar short-listedAmerikatsi), Rodrigo Areias (Venice prize winnerListen, Golden Seashell and Goya winnerThe Rye Horn), and co-producers Andre Hormann (Ringside, NetflixsTill Murder Do Us Part) and Max Milhahn.
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Morais and Eberl previously collaborated on the award-winning narrative shortWe Wont Forget, in which a womans frustrations boil to the surface while hosting a party for her friends, culminating in a public freak-out that turns into collective hysteria.
The short screened at over 25 festivals worldwide, including the Oscar-qualifying Palm Springs ShortFest, and was selected as Short of the Week and Vimeo Staff Pick.
It also won various awards, including the Grand Jury Prize and award for Best Editing at the Castrovillari Film Festival, and was nominated for a Portuguese Academy Award for Best Short Film.
Prior toIt Was Them, Morais and Eberl also collaborated on music videos for bands such as Mothxr and the Grammy-nominated Shiny Toy Guns.
A filmmaker, photographer and actor, Morais directorial debut, the short filmHeatstroke, won the CinEuphoria award for Best Screenplay.
As an actor, he has worked with directors such as Teresa Sutherland, Victoria Mahoney, and Tiago Guedes in films that have screened at Cannes, Venice, Fantasia, Gothenburg, Vila do Conde, and Rotterdam.
Also an actor-filmmaker, Eberls feature directorial debut,Choose Connor, was released theatrically and on video by Strand Releasing following a successful festival run.
That film followed an idealistic 15-year old who accepted the opportunity to serve as the youth spokesman for a U.S. Senate candidate, only to be exploited in a fierce campaign of TV and radio ads, posters, interviews, and speaking engagements.
As an actor, hes worked with directors such as Tim Burton, Alfonso Arau, Vincent Paterson, Peter Hoar, and Clint Eastwood.
Known for his unflinching explorations of youth culture, addiction, and rebellion, Clark first gained recognition withTulsa, a book of photography documenting teenage drug use and disaffected lifestyles in his hometown.
He transitioned to filmmaking with the iconic dramaKids, chronicling the lives of teenagers in New York City, which became a cultural flashpoint in 1995.
Other works from the filmmaker includeBully, as well asKen Park,Another Day in Paradise,Wassup Rockers,Marfa Girls, andThe Smell of Us.
Morais is repped by Eleven Dot Eight, Middleweek Newton Talent Management, and Robert Stein Management; Eberl by Phoenix Artists, Blue Ridge Entertainment, and HIT Management.
