Forté, but it has very little to do with the Fugees, jail, or growing up in Brooklyn. Instead, the film – which the 37-year-old founder of production company Le Castle co-produced – centers around Forté’s nine-week 2011 tour across Russia, a trip that he undertakes both to expand his musical horizons and to find himself.

In essence, the documentary tracks Forté as he collaborates with musicians across Russia and performs in various cities. The film begins in Moscow, where the American rapper is met by an adoring audience at Spaso House, the official residence of the American ambassador to Russia. Early on, the editing, despite The Russian Winter being the first full-length biopic by the Swedish-born director Ringbom, reflects the wonderment Forté experiences in his unfamiliar and exotic surroundings.

Asthe sequences of silence – a bold move considering the documentary is on the surface about music.

Despite hiccups, The Russian Winter is an introspective look at a journey not just about a man and his music, but growth and human interaction. As Forté, who performed at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on April 22 along with most of the artists he works with in the film, explains, “I’ve experienced more love here in two months than I feel I have in my own country in two years in being home from prison.” And though films of this type seem to pervade festivals like Tribeca in almost numbing amounts, it’s still worth checking out for those wishing to experience the uniqueness of a film featuring a rapper performing across Russia.

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