Contents
Spike Lee
Directing Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X.
Do the Right Thing · Malcolm X
- Born
- 20 March 1957
- Birthplace
- Atlanta, USA
More people
Spike Lee
Spike Lee is an American filmmaker whose work examines race, community, politics and popular culture. Brooklyn is a recurring setting, and his films often combine humour, confrontation and direct visual address.
Early life
Brooklyn upbringing
Moved to Brooklyn as a child in a family involved in education and the arts.
Film training
Studied at Morehouse College and earned an MFA at New York University.
Career
- 1986
Independent debut
She’s Gotta Have It established his feature-film career.
- Late 1980s–1990s
Major features
Built an influential body of films through his company 40 Acres and a Mule.
- 1990s–2000s
Documentary work
Expanded into documentary alongside fiction features.
- 2018–2019
Oscar-winning screenplay
Co-wrote BlacKkKlansman, winning the adapted-screenplay Oscar.
Selected work
Do the Right Thing
A Brooklyn neighbourhood reaches breaking point during a hot day.
Malcolm X
A biographical epic starring Denzel Washington.
When the Levees Broke
A documentary about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
Beyond work
Teaching
Taught film at New York University, mentoring later generations of filmmakers.
Sports culture
A prominent basketball fan who has also made sports documentaries.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Photo: Montclair Film. CC BY 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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