Josh Dolgin, (aka Socalled,) is a Canadian rapper and producer, known for his eclectic mix of hip hop, klezmer and other folk music syles. Dolgin, a Montreal musician with Winnipeg roots (and lots of family and friends in Winnipeg) is a pianist and accordion player. He is the subject of The "Socalled" Movie, an 87 minute documentary released in 2010 by Gary Beital co-produced by Reframe Films and The National filmboard of Canada.
This month Beital and the film have been named as a recipient of a J.I. Segal Award given by the Jewish Public Library
The documentary includes footage of the first "Klezmer Cruise", in which a boatload of klezmer fans sailed down the Dneiper River in the Ukraine. The movie was originally scheduled to be shown in Winnipeg at the Cinemateque theatre, 100 Arthur Street on Friday and Saturday Sept. 17 & 18 – 9:30 PM, which was Yom Kippur. However, another showing was added for Sunday Sept. 19 / 9:30 PM. Admission $8.00. Students $7.00.
As Dolgin’s father , Marc Dolgin told the Winnipeg Jewish Review, “Ironically the Winnipeg programmers scheduled it for Yom Kippur, but when this was pointed out to them by the Director, an additional showing was added for Sunday evening.”
The film was first shown at Hot Docs this year and is currently shown on Air Canada flights," he added.
The "Socalled" Movie examines Dolgin’s energy from all angles and transmits the urgent creative spark to everyone watching. Here’s what a few reviewers have to say about the film:
“One film that I COULDN’T MISS at the (HOT DOCS) Festival…TRULY A BEAUTIFUL THING.” Shannon Ridler
“Josh Dolgin manages to pull all his interests together in ways that STIMULATE BOTH SOUL AND FUNNY BONE especially for the 87-minute duration of this cleverly crafted NFB documentary.” - Georgia Straight
“Josh Dolgin’s art does seem A LITTLE MAGICAL ... HE BORROWS FREELY AND BRILLIANTLY from a range of music and artists. Blending funk and hip-hop, salsa and gospel, klezmer, lounge, and classical…” Cynthia Fuchs/POP MATTERS