Fire in Babylon, "a story of emancipation through the sport of cricket," features the charismatic men on the ever-dominant West Indies cricket team. The movie makes its New York theatrical debut on Friday, July 22, at reRun Gastropub in Brooklyn. Find tickets.

If you've never seen a movie at reRun, you are in for a treat. In addition to drinks (adult and otherwise), they have gourmet dogs (steak, duck or chicken), popcorn (made with your choice of powder and grease), pretzels, focaccia, and sweets. Check out the entire menu here. No wonder their tagline is "indie cinema with a buzz"!

Just can't quite make it over the bridge? Fire in Babylon is also available On Demand via Tribeca Film, right from the comfort of your own home.



So what about the movie?

Who knew that a nation born of a slave history and fraught with disenfranchisement would produce the most successful sporting team in history? Such is the story of the West Indian cricket team, which since the mid-'60s has played the seemingly placid game with unparalleled endurance and courageous spirit. Arguably, these former European colonies transformed cricket from a sluggish recreational sport into an intensely physical game for those with great athletic skill.

Tribeca alum Stevan Riley (Blue Blood, TFF 2007) charts this until-now-untold story from sporting history in his film Fire in Babylon, now available On Demand via Tribeca Film’s VOD platform. The film garnered significant attention after its premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and its inclusion in the Tribeca ESPN Sports Film Festival.

In case you missed it, there have been some nice pieces around the Web praising the movie, including The New York Times and the Village Voice.

As a bonus for our readers, we’ve thrown together footage from an exclusive interview with Fire in Babylon director Stevan Riley. In the piece, Riley explains his intentions for telling this story about the charismatic and talented characters of the West Indies cricket team. It’s incredible that in the face of adversity and blatant racism, this team triumphed above the odds to become an inspiration for oppressed people everywhere.

Watch Tribeca's exclusive interview with director Stevan Riley:



Find out how you can watch Fire in Babylon in your area. Find tickets for this weekend at reRun Gastropub.

Want more? Check out the film's official trailer: