The Documentary

About

The Tunnel was to classic hip-hop what Studio 54 was to disco. IT WAS A PROVING GROUND, a place that broke hits, launched artists, and affirmed that a new culture was here to stay. The Tunnel documentary will explore the legendary party and the people that made it: the artists and celebrities, the bouncers and security guards, the hustlers and dealers who went on to become industry CEOs, the characters, and the music that created a moment in time that the Instagram generation can only dream of.

The documentary archive includes 100+ hours of unseen footage, shot from 1993 to 2001. It will provide the skeleton from which all narratives diverge and converge. The Tunnel was known for its strict no photography rule, which makes this footage all the more significant.

Footage feat.
50 Cent, Lil’ Kim, Biz Markie, Snoop Dogg, Mobb Deep, Outkast, Ll Cool J, Cam’ron, Big Pun, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, The Notorious B.I.G., Trina, Dj Big Kap, Missy Elliot, Jay-z, Ja Rule, Mary J Blige, Rakim, Mase, Puff Daddy, Q-tip, Onyx, Nas, Fat Joe, Rza, Az, Angie Martinez, Black Rob, Epmd, Eve, Shante, Heltah Skeltah, Da Brat, Nice & Smooth, Lord Tariq, Peter Gunz, Greg Nice, Swizz Beatz, Redman, Shyne, Wu-tang Clan

Director Sacha Jenkins

Dubbed the “hero hip-hop needed,” veteran music journalist, hip-hop curator, Queens-native, filmmaker, and musician Sacha Jenkins has narrated hip-hop poetics for three decades. At age 20, Jenkins co-founded Beat Down, the first-ever hip-hop newspaper and in 2000, Jenkins was awarded a fellowship to the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.

In 2012 Sacha joined Mass Appeal as Chief Creative Officer. Jenkins’ first feature-length documentary, Fresh Dressed, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Jenkins’ next film, Burn Motherfucker, Burn! debuted on Showtime in 2017.

His documentary Word Is Bond premiered at the Urban World Film Festival and aired on Showtime in 2018. Jenkins served as executive producer on the Netflix series Rapture, which launched globally in 2018. His project Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 and aired on Showtime in 2019.

Director Sacha Jenkins’ Statement:

“The Tunnel nightclub – particularly on Sunday nights – was the place to be if you were a hip-hop devotee.

It was the equivalent to what the Ed Sullivan show was for The Beatles or The Doors. The Tunnel was where artists like Jay-Z and DMX and Lil’ Kim and Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg and Nas and Foxy Brown and countless others made a name for themselves. The entire tri-state area would be in the room. Champagne bottles flying like crazy; the energy in the room was thick, with seemingly one heartbeat dictating the swerve of the room.

We’ve heard the Studio 54 story a few times. It’s a great story. An important story about a generation past that still has resonance and relevance today. But the Tunnel? Come on now. Look at where hip-hop sits today, look at how the voices of hip-hop have changed the way we talk, dress; hip-hop has become a way of life, a philosophy, a religion.

The Tunnel, in many respects, represents hip-hop’s mainstream ground zero.

It was an aspirational place, a transformative locale, a rite of passage.”

Producer Jen Gatien

Independent producer Jen Gatien is dedicated to making films that recognize the rich tapestry of New York City. Jen’s work includes Chelsea on the Rocks, a film about the iconic Chelsea Hotel directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper, which premiered in the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival. Holy Rollers starring Jesse Eisenberg, and For Ellen starring Paul Dano premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Kiss of the Damned, directed by Xan Cassavetes, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and South by Southwest. Alongside Spike Lee, Jen produced award-winning Evolution of a Criminal for PBS, a documentary directed by Darius Clark Monroe who reflects on the bank robbery he committed as a teenager. Recently, Jen developed Limelight with Amazon Studios. While working at Tunnel in the 90s, Jen got her BA at Columbia University.