Greetings humans, Monki here with an update from the Turks and Caicos International Film Festival. Things are going great here on this beautiful island; the people are laid back, the ocean is beautiful and the rum punch is flowing. I'm sure Moriarty would enjoy the sand and sun much more so than his damp lair out in California. I'll toast my next drink to you Mori.

Thursday's movies all fit together quite well. They all complimented each other nicely. I began with two films dealing with the hip-hop culture, followed by an intriguing look into the African-American rock and roll scene and then capped it off with a voyeuristic look at the last days of a megastar's life.

I started off my morning with "DJ Drama's Respect the Game." This was a peek into the world of Southern rap music from Atlanta to Houston and back. The movie discussed issues ranging from royalties, to drugs, to cars, to airtime and others.

The movie contained interviews with just about every major southern rap star in the business including Ludacris, Paul Wall, T.I., and Nelly. All of them talked openly and candidly on their views of the rap industry and everything associated with it.

Respect the Game doesn't fit the movie mold as it was really just a series of chapters (with a corresponding card prior) and various artists opinions on them. No narrative was created whatsoever, and the editing didn't make any sense. That bugs the hell out of me because with all of the interviews and all of the access, something incredible could have been put together here. Instead the audience gets a talking head movie with terrible sound.

I just hope someone else will eventually put together a piece about Southern rap that is a little more polished than this someday.

Following the screening, about one hundred kids from the local high school and junior high showed up for the next two screenings. I only stayed for the first before having to head off to a different venue. The first film they chose to show the children was "The Hip-Hop Project."

The Hip-Hop Project is an amazing documentary about a program in Brooklyn for troubled youth looking to express themselves through hip-hop instead of getting caught up in violence and other illegal activities. The ringleader of The Hip-Hop Project is a young man by the name of Kazi, and this film is as much about him as it is about the youth he leads.

Kazi single-handedly holds this project together, putting in eighteen hour days of work and effort trying to help these youth make it through their lives. The documentary focuses on the group putting together their first album and Kazi's inner struggle with his past and trying to overcome that. Kazi was orphaned at an early age and a good part of the movie is about his attempt to reconnect with his past, including his mother.

Seeing the subjects of this movie struggle and fight to get their dream realized makes for a great piece. Brooklyn was shot beautifully in this film. The whole city is colored in a sepia tone which gives it a character that I haven't seen in other films about New York. The cinematography is beautiful, the colors really pop when they need to, and they are dulled when the mood calls for it.

The movie contains a lot of hope, and I highly recommend checking this one out if you get a chance. My favorite film of the festival so far.

After the movie was over the audience was treated to a surprise performance by Kazi himself. He got the kids into it and you could tell he was having a blast performing.

From there I high-tailed it over to the Sands hotel to check out "Electric Purgatory." (On a quick sidenote, I think all of the hotels here have stolen their names from Las Vegas; The Palms, The Sands, Mandalay. But I digress.)

Electric Purgatory is a documentary about African-American rock and roll. Through classic footage and interviews we learn the history of African-American rock.

This is just about as perfect as a documentary you can make. There is a clear statement, research and answer to the film. I was so pleased to see towards the ending of the film that the filmmaker actually went for answers to the problems discussed throughout.

The film shows the progression of black rock in the last few decades and the influence of African-Americans like Little Richard to all of rock and roll. Interviews with current and former black rockers like ?uestlove and members of Fishbone and Living Color really dig to the heart of the lack of African-American representation in rock and roll.

I would love to see Prince's or Lenny Kravitz's response to this documentary as they are mentioned as the key to breaking back into the mainstream for most African-American rockers. I highly highly recommend this film if you are a fan of good rock and roll.

To close the night I went tonight another beach-side screening of the documentary "The Last Days of Left Eye" about the final days of Lisa Lopes' life. This intimate look into her life was rather unsettling. Lisa felt something was going to happen to her so she commissioned a camera crew to film her at her Honduran retreat.

What we get from this film is a voyeuristic look into this woman's soul. She obviously had troubles in her life and she isn't afraid to express her concern and sorrow to the cameras. Much like the Tupac: Resurrection doc, this entire story is told through Lisa's own voice. She explains her feelings when it comes to the rise of TLC, her feelings on religion and she talks frankly and openly about her burning down her boyfriend's home. She is completely open in these stories she tells.

What really got me was the final shot of her driving when she lost control of her vehicle and ultimately passed away. I'm not sure what to think about having her absolute last moment on Earth captured on tape. I don't know what to think about that. It is as if someone making a documentary on Steve Irwin drops in the final shots of him before passing. I just don't know if I could handle that. It made for a powerful ending of a really good film.

So, that wraps up my third day at the Turks and Caicos International Film Festival. I've had a great time so far and I hope to hit up more of the ocean soon! Beach running here I come! Until then, back up the coconut tree I go!

-Monki