Tuesday night, a crowd packed into L.A.’s Downtown Independent Theater to show some support for the screening of a very moving documentary titled Bouncing Cats. The inspirational film follows the journey of a young man, known as Abramz, who has utilized his love for hip-hop, breakdancing, and b-boying, to find a way to improve the lifestyle of the troubled youth of Uganda.
Similar to the majority of Uganda’s adolescents, Abramz experienced a tough childhood. After losing both of his parents at a very young age, he looked to art, dance, and music as a way to distract him from the troubles of everyday life. Driven by his personal experiences, Abramz formed Breakdance Project Uganda (B.P.U.), an organization that strives to use breakdance and other elements of hip-hop to promote positive social change and responsibility.
Prior to the screening, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nabil Elderkin (Director), Abramz (B.P.U. Founder), Jolly (Invisible Children/H.E.A.L.S), and Crazy Legs (Rock Steady Crew) to hear fist hand about their experiences with the film. Here is a brief synopsis of my encounters with each of them:
