Synopsis
RED HOOK SUMMER tells the story of Flik Royale (Jules Brown), a sullen young boy from middle-class Atlanta who has come to spend the summer with his deeply religious grandfather, Bishop Enoch Rouse (Clarke Peters), in the housing projects of Red Hook. Having never met before, things quickly get off on the wrong foot as Bishop Enoch relentlessly attempts to convert Flik into a follower of Jesus Christ. Between his grandfather's constant preaching and the culture shock of inner-city life, Flik's summer appears to be a total disaster ̶─until he meets Chazz Morningstar (Toni Lysaith), a pretty girl his age, who shows Flik the brighter side of Brooklyn. Through her love and the love of his grandfather, Flik begins to realize that the world is a lot bigger, and perhaps a lot better, than he'd ever imagined.─©Variance Films



“...a messy film with a constant feeling of experimentation and invention.... It's also a passionate, painful, tragic, haunting love letter... I found it tremendously moving...”—Andrew O’Hehir, Salon

“Ambitious, uncompromising, and musically charged... the generational and ideological clashes become palpable, as do the community's frustrations after the darkest of plot twists.”—Aaron Hills, Village Voice

“Beneath every scene, powerful music enhances the film's resonance in much the same way its hyper-saturated colors do visually.”—Peter Debruge, Variety