Sundance BuzzCheck™: 'Made in America'

I just got back from the premiere of the Forest Whitaker-narrated documentary Made in America, filmmaker Stacey Peralta’s follow-up to 2004’s surfing doc Riding Giants. The film is an account of life as a gang member in the Bloods and Crips, which Peralta — though archival footage and interviews with experts — connects to African-American history in South Los Angeles, going way back into the 19th Century. The audience was amped up for the sold-out event, cheering as the lights dimmed. (I ran into Little Miss Sunshine producer Ron Yerxa at the concession stand, and he was excited to see it.) After the curtain came down, Peralta and six former gang members hit the stage for a Q&A — which prompted a standing-O from the audience. We’ll be interviewing Peralta & Co. tomorrow, so stay tuned…