HOOP DREAMS

In the late 1980s, aspiring filmmaker Steve James set out to make a 30-minute documentary for PBS about a public basketball court in Chicago. “But once we met Arthur [Agee] and William [Gates], we realized that the story we wanted to tell was of these young players leaving the playground and beginning their earnest pursuit of the dream,” says James. “And to tell that story would take years.” For five years James and key collaborators Frederick Marx and Peter Gilbert documented Agee and Gates, two African American NBA hopefuls navigating life at a predominantly white high school in Westchester, Illinois. 

Astonishing in its scope, Hoop Dreams is a documentary less about basketball than the realities of American life for two inner-city youths, chock-full of hope, unfairness, heartbreak, joy, villains and victories. Thirty years later it continues to captivate audiences with its beautifully stirring narrative. 

We’re honored to welcome Steve James back to Galerie to chat with critic Kaleem Aftab and answer your questions on the making of this unforgettable landmark of documentary filmmaking.