The Socalled Movie

Meet Socalled, aka Josh Dolgin. He’s a multi-disciplinary musician and artist whose unique blend of klezmer, hip hop and funk is blasting through the boundaries that separate music of different cultures, eras and generations. Socalled is unstoppable: a pianist, singer, arranger, rapper, producer and composer – as well as magician, filmmaker and visual artist.

The “Socalled” Movieis a dynamic kaleidoscopic portrait. Taking its cues from Socalled’s modus operandi, the documentary samples his work and offers up 18 entertaining, exquisitely edited short films about his constant creative process. Each film reveals something different, creating a nuanced picture of an individual who’s artistically fearless.

Socalled is a musical alchemist, always looking for the next old thing to make new again. The “Socalled” Movie shows him introducing funk trombone legend Fred Wesley (of James Brown fame) to klezmer music, while wowing Wesley with his knowledge of funk. When Dolgin comes across LPs from the 1950s by lounge pianist Irving Fields, he looks up 94-year-old Fields and inspires him to pen a new hit song.

Shot in Socalled’s Montreal neighbourhood where Hasidic Jews and hipsters crowd the sidewalks, and in New York, France and the Ukraine, The “Socalled” Movie is a cinematic multi-faceted depiction of inspiration, collaboration and transformation. It explores Socalled’s creative partnerships with singer Katie Moore; renowned klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer; filmmaker Benjamin Steiger Levine (who made the Socalled video You are Never Alone, a YouTube sensation that garnered over two million hits); and cello virtuoso Matt Haimovitz who commissioned a Josh Dolgin composition.

Socalled defies category and refuses limitation. The “Socalled” Movie examines his energy from all angles and transmits the urgent creative spark to everyone watching: now’s your chance – go out there and make something!