Sometimes even legendary directors forget their own movies, and Spike Lee just proved that point in the most Bay Area way possible.

During the Mill Valley Film Festival, Lee received a Tribute Award and found himself on stage with longtime collaborator Delroy Lindo when something magical happened: a sudden recollection of a forgotten San Francisco film.

A Forgotten SF Gem

Back in 2004, Lee directed “Sucker Free City,” a Showtime pilot that never became a series - and apparently, even he almost forgot about it. The film was a deep dive into San Francisco’s complex urban landscape, exploring tensions between street gangs and highlighting displacement themes that feel eerily familiar to modern Bay Area residents.

Hollywood’s Memory Lane

Lee candidly shared how a neighbor’s Super 8 camera changed his entire trajectory, revealing the serendipitous nature of his filmmaking journey. “I say my prayers and blessings when I go to bed every night because it could have gone this way or that way,” he reflected, reminding us that even iconic careers are built on chance encounters.

SF’s Cinematic DNA

The film explored quintessential San Francisco narratives - from Chinatown’s formation to Hunters Point’s Navy history and artists being pushed out of the Mission. It’s a snapshot of a city constantly in transformation, long before today’s tech-driven gentrification became the norm.