Directed by Josell Ramos • 2003 • United States
Starring Larry Levan, David Mancuso, Frankie Knuckles

The origins of New York City’s legendary underground dance-club culture are explored in this kinetic cult documentary—a vivid chronicle of a scene that became an oasis for the city’s queer and Black communities in the 1970s and ’80s. As told by the ordinary people who lived many an ecstatic night on the dance floor, Maestro pays homage to the storied clubs like Paradise Garage, The Loft, and The Gallery as well as trailblazing DJs like Larry Levan, David Mancuso, and Nicky Siano who shaped the sound of dance music for a generation to come. Bursting with passion for its subject, this essential history transmits the full-sensory euphoria of sound, rhythm, and movement.