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

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/Director Jen Gatien

Jen Gatien is a filmmaker based in New York City. She has produced 17 feature films with both award winning and emerging directors. Jen’s work includes a documentary about the iconic Chelsea Hotel which premiered as Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was directed by Abel Ferrara and stars Milos Forman, Grace Jones, Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper. Other works include Hounddog starring Dakota Fanning and Robin Wright, Holy Rollers starring Jesse Eisenberg, and For Ellen starring Paul Dano, all of which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Kiss of the Damned, directed by Xan Cassavetes, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Alongside Spike Lee, Jen also produced Evolution of a Criminal for PBS, a documentary directed by Darius Clark Monroe on the bank robbery he committed as a teenager and reconciling his past as an adult. Other films include Furlough starring Tessa Thompson, Whoopi Goldberg and Anna Paquin, and Midnight Sun starring Bella Thorne. She currently is developing her fourth project with Academy Award winning actress Melissa Leo as she finishes post-production on her directorial debut for Neon. Her scripted series Limelight will be directed by Emily Mortimer.

Since 2012, Jen has served as a board member of the Lower East Side Girls Club as well as a volunteer for Pupstarz Dog Rescue and the Mercer Houston Dog Run. She is a certified artist by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and a graduate of Columbia University.

Jen is represented by Thirty Three Management.