While kickin' it at home with families and friends, with the joyous sounds of the festivals receding into the distance, come together to share the warmth, humor, reality and vitality of some irie films. I hope my selections keep you grooving, while opening your eyes, ears, mind and heart, because I am serving up a bounty of food for thought! I have included feature films, dramas, documentaries, live concert videos and even art-experimental world culture films. For the moment anyway, this ital potluck of films should satisfy your collective longing for a Jamaican getaway. And now, our feature!
This is the first in a tradition of Jamaican reggae films offering a true-to-life feel of life inna Yard. Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan, who moves from the country into Kingston seeking fame as a singer, but finds greater fame as an outlaw. This film helped bring the reggae sound to audiences the world over, and was the first time Rastafarians found themselves on the big screen. The DVD offers feature-length commentary from director/ writer Perry Henzell and Jimmy Cliff.
Adventurous tale of the man Horsemouth Wallace, trying to make his way up in the Kingston musical scene. Evident throughout is the brotherhood and loyalty amongst the Rastas. Catch Rockers to see Big Youth, Gregory Isaacs, Robbie Shakespeare, Burning Spear, Jacob Miller, Dillinger and many more reggae stars in action - and all so young - in a film that brings to life the struggle to survive with heart and humor.
Countryman is a portrait of natural living, of a man who lives in harmony with the elements. Countryman harnesses the powers of Jah and nature to defeat the authorities and forces of corruption as they seek the friends he shelters from a plane crash. This is a social commentary on class struggle, where the strength of the humble and poor prevail over the wrath and greed of the powerful.
Modern tale of a Kingston street vendor aspiring to become the reigning Dancehall Queen. Filmed entirely on location in Kingston, Dancehall Queen bumps with energy, danger, humor and ultimately jubilation. Musical appearances by Anthony B and Beenie Man.
The fates of Capone, a Kingston cop, and his childhood friend, Ratty, play out to a violent end in this tale of gunplay, power and loyalty. Fast-paced and hardcore, with a soundtrack to match, Third World Cop will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
A traveling photojournalist gets lured into a plot to rob Klash, Jamaica's biggest dancehall soundclash, while also trying to rekindle an old romance. This suspense-thriller includes musical appearances from Shabba Ranks and Bounty Killer.
A redemptive tale about a young mother struggling to make it in the London dancehall scene. Competition amongst artists is fierce, but family ties pull even harder as Nita tries to push her hit song to the top. Nita's 'can do' spirit reflects one of the enduring character attributes found throughout Jamaican films.
Sankofa means "one must return to the past in order to move forward." A beautiful African-American magazine model is thrown back in time, and forced to identify face-to-face with the daily struggles and horrors of slavery. From Africa's coast of Ghana, to the cane fields of the South in the United States, Mona's journey reveals to her a much deeper sense of her African roots.
This must-see documentary chronicles the lending practices of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank which continue to propel Jamaica and other developing nations into debt, dependence and agricultural and fiscal bankruptcy. This eye-opener is set to music from Mutabaruka, Ziggy Marley, Anthony B and others.
Bob Marley's life and music are brought to life in this vital documentary film. Rebel Music is loaded full of previously unreleased interviews with Bob himself, Rita Marley, Lee Perry, Bunny Wailer, the Wailers Band, as well as many others, plus concert and news footage and a wide array of classic tracks.
Autobiographical accounts from Peter Tosh's own audio-memoirs guide this film through his life. Many friends, musicians and Rasta luminaries reflect on Tosh's life and works plus his lifelong pursuit of truth and justice.
Follow Bob Marley and the Wailers through the recording of Catch a Fire, one of reggae's first albums to break through to both global and rock audiences. Packed with in-studio footage of the Wailers, plus many candid interviews, Catch a Fire provides a rare glimpse into the creation of a classic reggae masterwork.
This documentary gets 'up close and personal' with the legendary reggae pioneer, Sir Coxsone Dodd, the man behind Jamaica's most influential reggae label, Studio One. His story is a chronicle of the birth and development of reggae music, from the days of ska through the golden era of the late 70s. This DVD features interviews with many of the labels' stars, including Alton Ellis, Sugar Minott and Jah Stitt. A must-have for roots lovers!
From the Jamaican countryside to the heart of Trench Town, this feature takes us on a tour of the golden era of reggae music. Filmed in 1977, the works of Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, the Abyssinians, Lee Scratch Perry, the Ethiopians and others are covered, from the concert stage to the recording studio and back to the streets and yards of Jamaica, where much of the music was born.
On-the-ground footage of the Seattle Hempfest in Washington.This joint is rolled full of candid interviews with NORMAL founders, musicians, festival organizers and many other citizen hemp advocates, extolling the many, many virtues of the cannabis hemp plant.
A live concert journey with roots masters Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, U-Roy and more. The film is punctuated with many Rasta reasonings plus some of the ideas and inspirations behind playing the King's music.
This concert film features an all-star lineup including the Marley Family, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Jimmy Cliff, Ben Harper and many others, all covering the music of reggae's king, Bob Marley. This tribute, filmed in Oracabessa Bay, Jamaica, will be sure to get you movin' and skankin'!
Follow famed roots trio Israel Vibration through a tour of Israel, with stops at the River Jordan, Jerusalem and the Wailing Wall. Concert footage includes Israel Vibration at an outdoor festival, as well as some more intimate club venues. The outstanding Roots Radics Band provides the musical backing.
You can't miss with this live concert, with Morgan Heritage raising the roof all the way to the Most High! An uplifting, musical celebration of Rasta livity in support of the More Teachings CD release, Morgan Heritage truly comes on with a strong sound and message! The DVD features many extras, such as interview segments, videos and more music.
With footage taken from major festivals like the Sting Festival, Reggae Sunsplash and Japansplash, this DVD will help quench your thirst for some live reggae. Highlights include the late greats Dennis Brown and Garnett Silk performing "Here I Come" and "It's Growing" respectively. More performances include Luciano, Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley, Burning Spear, Inner Circle, Buju Banton, Wayne Wonder, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Yami Bolo, plus more.
Video concert footage featuring Determine, Anthony B and Capleton, with an outstanding backing band, the Star Trail Crew, running the riddims. Wicked! Footage is circa 1995 or '96 and includes Anthony B delivering his hit "Raid the Barn" plus Capleton burning it with "Chant" and "Wings of the Morning."
Unity through diversity is explored, as producers Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Catto tie together music and images from 20 countries into one sonic and visually beautiful tapestry. The DVD includes documentation of the soundtrack recorded on location from all over the globe. Performers include Baaba Maal, Ulali, the Mahotella Queens, Neneh Cherry, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Ram Dass, Kurt Vonnegut and many more.
You've probably never seen the earth like this before! Koyaanisqatsi is a visually poetic and stirring depiction of humankind's press against Mother Nature, plus the population explosion, as told through images of bustling cities juxtaposed with breathtaking natural landscapes, all amazingly filmed. Composer Phillip Glass couples it with a pulsing and hypnotic soundtrack.
This is the follow-up to Koyaanisqatsi, capturing the same spirit of the original through stunning time-lapse and super-impositional filming. Powaqqatsi examines the rift between workers and societies of the so called 'first' and 'third' worlds.
Translated to mean "blessings," Baraka is a film that operates without a written plot (like the two above), but offers a visual feast and continuity all its own. Filmed in 24 countries, Baraka captures the elements of rhythm and prayer that unite all humans, as well a depiction of the strain that humankind exercises upon Mother Earth.
I hope you enjoyed our featured films! I was surprised to find the declining availability of cultural films and concert videos at my local video rental conglomerate. Gone are the days when you could rent four different years of "Reggae Sunsplash" to compare lineups! I had more luck on the web at www.netflix.com and for film purchases, www.reggae source.com couldn't be beat! Also try www.reggaecd.com, as well as mega-site www.amazon.com.