What is it about New York that makes it so special? What is it about downtown New York? What is it about downtown New York in the late 70s to mid 80s? In the depths of crime and corruption a new breed of creative individuals emerged, spanning different mediums in art, music, fashion, and literature, often times cross pollinating. Two of the most important movement came from this era, hip-hop and punk still has a strong influence in today’s pop culture. Two films focusing on downtown New York will be shown in the next week. Starting with Tamra Davis’s “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.” After making the festival rounds, the documentary opens Wednesday July 21st at Film Forum. Read the interview with Davis in The Moment. Then next week will see the New York debut of “Downtown Calling” at the New York International Latino Film Festival. An in depth look into the the culture and history of downtown New York from 1977-1985. It’s time for your history lesson kids.