“THE EXCELLENT THEOPOLIS”

About the Film

The Excellent Theopolis is a 65-minute experimental, vérité-style portrait of legendary Brooklyn street musician Theopolis Coburn. The film follows the 72-year-old bluesman as he reflects on his life as a singer while grappling with substance abuse and homelessness.

Filmed between Brownsville, Brooklyn and a moving family reunion in Harleyville, South Carolina, the documentary offers an intimate and deeply compassionate portrait of Theo — an eccentric, charismatic, and complex artist. Soon after returning to New York, Theo passed away, making the work a posthumous autobiography of an extraordinary man.

Beyond its festival and museum screenings, the film has taken on an unexpected second life. Social workers across New York embraced it as a tool for sparking dialogue in homeless shelters, where director Josh Victor Rothstein led screenings and discussions. These events revealed the film’s resonance as a mirror of resilience, self-esteem, and survival for people navigating their own hardships.

The Excellent Theopolis stands as both a portrait of one individual and an invitation to recognize the depth, humanity, and complexity of the everyday people we pass on city streets.

Watch 5 min sample Reel

Director’s Statement by Josh Victor Rothstein

When I first met Theopolis Coburn on the streets of Brooklyn, I was struck not just by his music but by the depth of his humanity. What began as a portrait of a charismatic street performer unfolded into a layered story of survival, family, and resilience. The Excellent Theopolis is, at its heart, about looking past the surface and recognizing the complexity in the people we walk by every day. My hope is that Theo’s voice and spirit invite audiences to see their fellow human beings with greater compassion and understanding.