Greenwich Village Film Festival: "Stoop Chat with Maani & Mr. Sweat"

Stoop Chat with Maani and Mr. Sweat brings you to the Brooklyn stoops of Mr. Sweat, a dapper neighborhood elder and Vietnam veteran with old school swagger, and Maani, a young aspiring entrepreneur. Against the vibrant cultural backdrop of Bedford-Stuyvesant, this documentary captures the power of mentorship and the enduring spirit of Black identity.

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Note! We featured the Michael and Eric, the festival directors in in our "On the Stoop with Talia" series! View their Stoop Story.

Through the simple act of playing stoop ball, wisdom is passed down, dreams take shape, and the lessons of the past help to guide the future. Exploring faith and masculinity, the short film tells the heartwarming story of the strength found in community, the lessons shared between generations, and the amazing transformative power of love.

This short is the third in a series of short, intergenerational award-winning “Stoop Chat” docs designed to increase social connection between youth and elders, while preserving neighborhood narratives and celebrating cultural heritage. 

Stoop Chat with Maani & Mr. Sweat previously screened at Katra Film Series (Best Documentary), Coney Island Film Festival, Better Cities Film Festival, Ann Arbor Black Film Festival, World Culture Film Festival, I Will Tell Film Festival, Baltimore International Black Film Festival, and is featured on Project UnLonely Films. 

Funded by Brooklyn Arts Council and the Stoop Stories community, this short was directed by Stoop Stories founder and Emmy-nominated producer and festival award-winning director, Marj Kleinman, and award-winning documentary filmmaker Christine Thomas Yoon, in collaboration with the Stoop Stories Collective of storytellers and artists.

Trailer edited by Evan Li