CH-10. Satan & Adam

USA, Feature Documentary, 2018, 79 min

Award-winning filmmaker Ryan Suffern (Finding Oscar, China Hustle, What Haunts Us), returns to BIFF

...stands alone as an absolute work of wonder. The Independent Critic

Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee, a Mississippi bluesman who played for Etta James, Marvin Gay and Ray Charles, burned out and decided to live out his life as a street musician in Harlem. One day, a Jewish kid named Adam Gussow came along with a harmonica and asked to jam. Mr. Satan rolled his eyes, but the blues they produced that day rocked: joyous, arrogant, beautiful and, more importantly, drawing a crowd who left big tips. They played every day on 125th Street. bringing in huge crowds, followed by a successful record and a big gig at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in front of thousands. But suddenly, Mr. Satan vanished. What happened? The real visual magic of this beautiful story is that the filmmaker was actually shooting it from the beginning—for 23 years.

Directed by V. Scott Balcerek

Boulder Premiere