Humble in the Jungle tells the story of how Mike “Mike Gee” Smalls, a rapper and plumber who went from humble beginnings to become a Hip Hop star at a young age. When his music career began to wane, Smalls and his family moved south to North Carolina. Once there, he learned the plumbing trade. As an unassuming licensed plumber, he built relationships with other local tradesmen, one of whom was Ricky Kelly, another seasoned plumber.
Like Smalls, Kelly’s road to becoming a tradesman and running his own business was unconventional. Kelly was not just a plumber, but also an artist, albeit his creative outlet and passion was filmmaking. Kelly and Smalls became instant friends. Humble in The Jungle weaves together these threads to illuminate the complex tapestry of Small’s and Kelly’s lives, as well as that of their community and other tradesmen from around the world.
In addition to filming music events, the film follows Smalls and Kelly in their daily lives as family members, community members, artists, and plumbers. The film, moreover, deals with issues of race and class and gives close attention to both men’s experiences as hardworking, working-class tradesmen, family men, and artists. It argues that these plumbers’ stories offer an important lens into the histories and current day struggles of tradesmen of color, as well as the role that community, vocational work, and art play in fostering community and a mindset committed to growth, service, and sacrifice.
Director Ricky Kelly's film Black Beach, White Beach premiered at Cucalorus Film Festival in 2017 to a sold out crowd. Kelly was also a cohort member in the 2016 and 2021 Works-in-Progress lab facilitated by Working Films and Cucalorus.
Join us for this World Premiere screening and performance. Directory Ricky Kelly and Jungle Brother Mike Gee will join us for an in-depth discussion following the film and then after a short break, Mike Gee will hit the stage for a very special Jungle Brothers performance.
This is part of the 31st annual Cucalorus Film Festival, happening Nov. 19-23, 2025 in downtown Wilmington. All-access passes are on sale now at cucalorus.eventive.org.
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