Making Do the Right Thing + Parlons grand-mère

Making Do the Right Thing and Parlons grand-mère offer behind-the-scenes glimpses into the filmmaking process. St. Clair Bourne documents Spike Lee’s production of Do The Right Thing, capturing the creative decisions, collaborations, and social dynamics shaping the film. In Parlons grand-mère, director Djibril Diop Mambéty observes Idrissa Ouédraogo directing Yaaba in Burkina Faso, offering an intimate and often humorous portrait of filmmaking. Together, the documentaries explore the relationship between artistic vision, collaboration, and the realities of film production.

Parlons grand-mère (1989)
Dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty
With Idrissa Ouédraogo
34min; DCP

An homage from filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty (Touki Bouki) to director Idrissa Ouédraogo, during the filming of Yaaba, a drama set in a small rural village in Burkina Faso and told through a child’s friendship with an outcast elder. Through an intimate, observational approach, Mambéty explores childhood and contemporary African life while offering a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of filming in Burkina Faso. Blending humor and tribute, Mambéty also highlights the country’s unique position as one of the few West African nations with an indigenous film industry.

Making Do the Right Thing (1989)
Dir. St. Clair Bourne
With Spike Lee
60min; DCP

Director St. Clair Bourne documents eight weeks of filming Do The Right Thing in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn during the summer of 1988. Blending candid interviews with residents, crew, and cast, Bourne captures the challenges and triumphs of bringing a large-scale production into a neighborhood. From set construction and on-location filming to the daily realities and community reactions, the documentary explores the complexities of making a film within a living, changing community.