Jim Jones and Damon dash came through for the world premiere of their new film, “Red Apples Falling,” at The School of Visual Arts on 23rd Street. Before the film, Dash and Jones both gave a small speech. Most people probably don’t know that Dash has known Jim since he was 8 years old. When they were younger they used to dream of making films and movies and now they are doing it. “We did it like a documentary, but it’s really shot like a movie I hope y’all enjoy it. There’s a lot more to come,” Jim said. “It was just pure art…shout out to Jim for never ever showing up late,” said Dash.

The film tells the story of all the members of the Byrd Gang. Mel Matrix, Sandman, NOE, Freeky Zeeky and Chink Santana sat down with Angie Martinez and told her about growing up on streets of Harlem, Brooklyn and D.C. Many of the members had been incarcerated for drugs or violence at a young age, but they expressed hope that their children would live a better life than they lived. Angie Martinez asked Chink Santana what the tear drop tattoo signified, but he didn’t want to talk about it. He just wants to look forward and focus on positivity. The film has its comical moments too, when Sandman decided he wanted to commit robbery although he had over hundred thousand dollars, and when Damon Dash flaunts his $5,000 suit and $20,000 watch. Part of the film are staged, like the drug transactions, but the interviews with the members of the group give you a glimpse into their mind, and gives you a sense of awe that they were able to overcome so much adversity. It is also clear that some members of the group are living a better life than the other members, but at the end of the day they all have each other’s back, and they are clearly brothers with Jim Jones as the leader.

The film experiments with different types of sound mixing and shots. Some of the scenes are in black and white or blurry, and the camera work is sometimes shaky. Each part of the film is transitioned with a “music video,” where the Byrd Gang performed one of their songs. If you are interested in getting a sense of what the gang is like, you should definitely check out this film.

- Shaina Moskowitz