Above, a scene from “Dawg Fight.” (Photo credit: rakontur)

By Rene Rodriguez
The Miami Herald

MIAMI — Filmmakers Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman made their initial media splash in 2001, when their controversial documentary “Raw Deal: A Question of Consent,” an exploration of a purported rape, premiered at the Sundance International Film Festival and made the cover of the New York Post.

Then came “Cocaine Cowboys” in 2006, a recounting of the early-1980s South Florida drug wars that convincingly argued that the backbone of Miami’s infrastructure was built on the cocaine trade.

That film earned Corben and Spellman, whose media studio rakontur is housed on South Beach, a devoted cult following that grew with each successive film (“Limelight,” “Square Grouper,” “The U,” “Broke”).

So there’s a nice synchronicity to that fact that the filmmakers, along with co-founder David Cypkin, have returned to the movie that blew up their careers at the same time they venture into new territory: the narrative documentary.

April 8 marks the DVD / Blu-ray release of “Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded,” an expanded and retooled version of the 2006 movie that features even crazier stories from Miami’s wild, wild West 1980s-era.

Coming this summer is “Dawg Fight,” which was shot over the span of two years, inspired by an article in the Miami New Times by Francisco Alvarado detailing a bare-knuckled, backyard-fighting culture that gained popularity via YouTube videos.

Unlike rakontur’s previous films, which consisted of archival footage and interviews with people recalling a past era, “Dawg Fight” begins as a portrait of a bruising culture, borne out of unemployment and lack of hope for the future, of friendly competition and rivalries, and of grudges that are settled the old-fashioned way instead of with bullets.

Instead of a comfortable studio and willing interview subjects, the filmmakers had to step into the action and film it as it happened — sometimes dealing with people who did not want to appear on film.

“The fighters were easy, because they were looking for publicity,” says Corben, who directed “Dawg Fight.” “But other people in the community weren’t as friendly. People who attended the fights were used to cameras being pointed at the ring. But now we had cameras everywhere — on the roof, on the street, on the training grounds — and that was disconcerting for some people, who might be smoking pot or gambling.”

“The energy that they have is infectious, and it comes across in their movies,” says Connor Schell, vice president of production for ESPN Films, which aired “The U” and “Broke.” “Their style is so frenetic, and their movies have such an interesting pace that when Billy pitched us on how they wanted to do ‘The U’ (originally titled “Hurricane Season”), we bought into it immediately. We’ve had a great relationship with them. Their style is very innovative, and we’re talking to them about collaborating on another documentary now.”

Brad Abramson, vice president of original programming for VH1, says he was impressed by Corben and Spellman when they lobbied to direct the four-part miniseries “The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy,” which aired in February.

“They knew an incredible amount about hip hop for a couple of white Jewish kids from Miami,” Abramson says. “They blew us away with their knowledge of all the details and their love of the culture. They are a boutique company: They work on one project at a time and give it their all. We were aware of them from the ‘Cocaine Cowboys’ days. They are the kings of the hidden anecdote. They know how to find just the right nugget to bring out.”

Although “Dawg Fight” has not found a U.S. distributor, Corben and Spellman are banking on their huge following on social media and the increasing multitude of release platforms to make the film available sometime this year.

“The distribution landscape has changed dramatically, and so many various models have emerged. We’re trying to figure out to distribute the movie directly to our fans,” Spellman says. “It’ll be a different plan of distribution for us that will allow us to reach our fans directly, who I think will specially like this title.”

One thing that has not changed, however, is the dynamic among the three rakontur founders, which is probably the real secret to their success.

“Filmmaking is like a band,” Spellman says. “Everyone has to play their own instrument and their own role in making a film. David has been editing our docs. Billy and I have a great partnership because we play off each other’s strengths. He directs, and I produce. When you look at other filmmaking teams, they all have a certain rapport. I think we’ve developed our own rhythm and style. We make a pretty formidable team.”