Come see Doin' It In the Park

Come to the Brooklyn Public Central Library on Thursday, April 24, 2014 to see Doin’ It In the Park! The movie will play at the Dweck Center (follow arrows to the basement level). Showtime is at 7pm.

Directed by Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau, this independent documentary explores the history, culture, and social influence of New York City’s summer basketball scene. As we all know, pick-up baseball is a way of life in New York City – according to the filmmakers, there are 700+outdoor courts and an estimated 500,000 players. And despite the summer heat, there’s always someone willing to play. "You can play high school or college for four years. You can play Pro for a decade. You can play pick-up … for life."

The directors visited 180 courts throughout the five boroughs, travelling to most locations on bike with their camera equipment and a ball in their backpacks. During their travels, they recorded the voices of both playground legends and people who simply love the game. Of course, Brooklyn is well represented.

One of the characters in the film is James ‘Fly’ Williams, who used to dominate the courts of Brownsville, Brooklyn.  At Austin Peay University in Tennessee, he started on the college team and led the nation in scoring. He played in the now-defunct ABA for a season, and now he runs a basketball program for kids in Brooklyn. 

Jack ‘Black Jack’ Ryan hails from East 5th Park in Brooklyn. He tried out for the New Jersey Nets at the age of 29, but he was cut from the team during the tryout's final cuts. In 2005, he won the ESPN City Slam National 3-Point Championship. Today, he still rules Manhattan's West 4th St. court.

Get excited to see what critics are calling “a triumph capturing a culture of champions without medallions.” And check out the trailer here: