Sterling Magee experienced firsthand the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians. So he walked away to play on the Harlem streets for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of joy. One of those he converted was a white kid named Adam, who gave up the ivory tower life to play alongside this streetwise guru. Their improbable bond made them a sensation, and their journey a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth.

Satan & Adam is a celebration of the transformative power of music, and the bonds that develop when worlds collide and artists collaborate. Director V. Scott Balcerek pulls together over two decades of documentary footage to chart the duo’s friendship from busking in the streets of Harlem to bigger and bigger stages and to depict the challenges that both had to overcome to keep Satan & Adam together.

Directed by V. Scott Balcerek. Produced by Kennedy Marshall and Ryan Suffern (Finding Oscar). Executive produced by RYOT Films, Trevor Birney, Brendan J. Byrne, Corey Russell and Frank Marshall.Benaim studied International Relations and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and later film directing at Camera Obscura, Tel Aviv. In 2004, he founded Apertura Films, an independent production company, in his native Panama, where he is considered a pioneer filmmaker. His first feature, “Chance” (2010) was the first film to be theatrically released in Panama in 60 years, and was seen by over 500,000 spectators. “Invasion” (fIDFA 2014) was Panama’s first submission to the Academy Awards and had an audience of 50,000 people in local theaters. Benaim’s films have been selected at prestigious film festivals such as SXSW, IDFA, HOTDOCS and True False, and have won multiple awards as well as critical acclaim. Benaim’s work deals with social issues and touching personal stories told in an unceremonious, sometimes humorous and irreverent tone.