The Pikme-Up

In the mid-1980's the coffeehouse movement in Los Angeles was beginning with wild promise. A tattered Hollywood storefront called The Pikme-up became the prototype for a new subculture that started as an unruly rebellion and exploded into a national phenomenon. The place was a bohemian revolution, a happening of ideas, poetry, music, and performance where a motley group of outcasts formed a unique community and an enduring family. Our documentary on The Pikme-up utilizes an amazing wealth of materials--more than 5000 photographs, over 200 video hours of performances, hundreds of print elements, and intimate interviews with friends, employees, and performers. We hope our experimentation with the materials and how memory is represented in film is true to the spirit of this amazing moment in Los Angeles cultural history.

Directed by Andrew Crane, Scott Hessels, James Keitel, The Pikme-Up leans on a strong ensemble — Luis Alfaro, Mojgan Azimi, Bill Barminski — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2009.