The Business
Steve James on ‘City So Real’
Steve James, the filmmaker behind “Hoop Dreams,” is out with a new series called “City So Real,” which documents Chicago’s political landscape and the lives of its residents.
By Kim Masters • • 28m ListenSteve James is best known for “Hoop Dreams,” his ambitious documentary that followed Chicago high school kids who aimed to make it in the NBA. The film took almost seven years to make, and it won the best documentary prize at Sundance in 1994.
Since then, James has kept taking on ambitious projects. In 2018, James made the critically acclaimed series “America to Me,” which follows students at a hypothetically integrated high school in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park.
Now he’s out with his new project, “City So Real,” a multifaceted look at the neighborhoods and cultures that coexist in Chicago. The series premiered at Sundance this year with four episodes that focus on the 2019 mayoral election, COVID-19 pandemic, and protests after the killing of George Floyd.
James discusses how he stitched together his mosaic, and how he convinced his funder Participant Media to let him make the bonus episode.
In this episode
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Read the story8 min‘City So Real’ chronicles life in Chicago, from mayor’s election to COVID-19 pandemic
Steve James has been making documentaries for more than three decades, and he’s used to people flagging him down when he’s filming, hoping they’ll get to appear on camera. He says he often gracefully declines these offers.
Read the story19 min
