Rooftops

Capoeira meets West Side Story by way of the 80’ in Academy Award-winning director Robert Wise’s (West Side Story, The Sound of Music) final film, a vibrant, romantic fable about a skilled young street fighter battling criminals across the rooftops of a seamy New York City.

Set against the streets and rooftops of Manhattan, Robert Wise’s Rooftops follows T, a quiet teenager who escapes a broken home to live in a makeshift shelter atop an abandoned tenement. He finds community among other street kids, including graffiti artist Squeak, who gather at night for “combat,” a mix of dance and martial arts.

Their world is threatened when drug dealer Lobo takes over T’s building and turns it into a crack house. Complicating matters, T falls for Lobo’s cousin Elana, who reluctantly works as his lookout to help support her struggling family. As tensions rise, T and Lobo are pushed toward a showdown that forces T to put his combat skills to the ultimate test.