Crips Strapped 'n Strong

Hip-hop and a sense of brotherhood are central to the lives of the Surinamese and Antillean members of the Crips gang in The Hague, but so are bank robberies and drug deals. Crips don't get the police involved; they take care of their own business -- and many young Crips have been gunned down in their prime. Former break-dancer Keylow worked his way up to become a major player in the gang. He is our guide on a tour of this violent world -- a world populated by characters such as Santos, who is lying low and wants to go to Suriname and "become somebody" again, and Main C, who, fresh out of jail, wants to get out of the gang scene and take on his responsibilities as a father. The biographical portraits alternate with scenes from "da hood," where gang members dress in blue just like their brothers in Los Angeles. Gavan and Van der Valk, whose previous work includes documentaries and reports for the BBC and the Dutch current affairs program , based their film on the book by hip-hop journalist Saul van Stapele. They managed to get close to the gang members, who are clearly at ease in front of the camera and when responding to questions. The stylishly filmed personal portraits provide insight into this violent Dutch scene as well as into the workings of the criminal mind.