Plot Summary for
Lemon (2011/I) More at IMDbPro »

Ex-con turned poet/performer Lemon Andersen fights for an exit from generations of poverty by bringing his life's secrets to the New York stage. But revisiting his troubled past has more in store than he bargained for, as he is confronted by his demons time and again. Still, Lemon - raised by a drug dealer and a car thief - was born to hustle and survive, so when Spike Lee steps in to produce his show, Lemon believes he might finally find the redemption that he desperately seeks. Ultimately, LEMON is about more than Lemon. A man whose talent is anything but 'normal,' his dreams are of every man with a history of hardship and the desire for something more for himself and his family. Written by Anonymous

Three-time felon, one-time Tony Award winner, Lemon Andersen discovered poetry at the age of 20. The child of drugs and AIDS stricken parents, Lemon's raw upbringing in Brooklyn's Puerto Rican community is reflected in his work. Through hustle and talent, he found himself on Broadway, starring in Russell Simmons' production of Def Poetry Jam for which he won the Tony. After the show closed, the fame and money dried up. Lemon finds himself back in the projects, living with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. He turns to the only things he has left, his pen and his story. Over the course of three years, Lemon attempts to stage a comeback at New York City's prestigious Public Theater, while navigating the perilous world of the theater community and battling demons from his past. Lemon brings to life the anguish of a generation of men clinging to the margins but fighting for something more. The film features music by hip-hop phenoms Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Aloe Blacc. Written by Cinema Libre Studio

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