Jimmy Cliff’s ‘The Harder They Come’ For Black River Film Festival Finale

The Harder They Come, the pioneering full-length feature film starring Jimmy Cliff, which is credited with introducing Reggae to the world, will serve as the grand finale of the Black River Film Festival, which will be held in St. Elizabeth between June 28 and 30.

Founder of the Black River Film Festival, Dr. Ava Brown, told DancehallMag that the film, which was the first motion picture to be shot in Jamaica by a Jamaican director and featuring an entirely Jamaican cast, was chosen to be the last hurrah of the three-day event, as it remains a tour de force which not only epitomizes Jamaican culture and cinema but also profoundly highlights the island’s musical heritage.

“The reason we chose The Harder They Come was very simple. It is one of those masterpieces that represents Jamaica culture and film, but also music in particular…. And we thought that was a nice way to end it, but also to celebrate how far we’ve come in terms of film, and that it is still a timeless thing. The fact that the lead actor in that film is none other than Jimmy Cliff, who is a reggae icon, it was inevitable,” she explained.

“And just how much The Harder They Come and Jimmy Cliff really has done for Jamaica, made that a very easy decision for us. As a matter of fact, it was one of the first decisions, like the first top five decisions we made, about the festival… We just thought it was so nice to culminate this festival and end it on reminding ourselves of how timeless somebody like Jimmy Cliff is. He’s synonymous. There are some names when you call them in Jamaica, they’re synonymous,” she added.

Brown said Justine Henzell, daughter of The Harder They Come’s director the late Perry Henzell, has been “providing great support so far behind the scenes”.

“One of the first persons we shared the idea with was Justine. And she thought it was a great idea to do the film festival. And she was very willing to give us her father’s film when we asked for it. She was actually humbled and honoured that we wanted to involve it. And she was very, very supportive,” she explained.

The screenwriter said she sees The Harder They Come as an effective depiction of Jamaican resilience, innovativeness, and courage. She said the effectiveness of the varying themes in the film was amplified by the 10 Reggae tracks, including Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come and Many Rivers to Cross, which were synchronized in the production.

“Film is nothing without music… I’m more of a writer, but the reality is that if you see a scene without music, sometimes it doesn’t make any sense. So, music, film without music is dead. It’s non-existent. They work in tandem, and it’s like a marriage. So, music is so important, and in The Harder They Come, the music really brought home the characters, and the scenes came alive,” she explained.

“I watched The Harder They Come with my son, who was born in England, about two years ago. And he was, at the time, about nine. And he could understand Jamaican context from a different space, to the point that when he came to Jamaica, and he saw the handcart man, he understood it. He saw it in The Harder They Come. So, I think that music and films cannot be separated,” she noted.

As for the importance of Reggae music in film generally, she said that the genre is, itself, a form of storytelling through its lyrics, melody and rhythm.

“Reggae music plays a significant role in film, particularly those that are aimed to capture the essence of Jamaican culture, which conveys, in my opinion, a specific mood and atmosphere. It is deeply entrenched. Reggae music sets the tone; Reggae music sometimes helps establish time and place, and it enhances storytelling. We cannot talk about anything around Reggae music and not remember that Reggae music tells stories,” she said.

“So, Reggae music literally plays an important role in film by providing cultural authenticity. It sets the tone, and it establishes settings, and for me, overall, we cannot have music in film without Reggae music, and Reggae music is very vivid, it tells a story, and as Bob Marley says, when music hits you, you feel no pain. That’s what Reggae music does to film,” she added.

Festival Format

The Black River Film Festival is set to feature engaging events tailored for various age groups.

On June 28, the focus will be on the younger generation, with sessions dedicated to high school students aged 14 to 18. The agenda items include a masterclass on The Science of Storytelling by Commonwealth Book Prize Winner Kwame McPherson; a panel discussion dubbed “No Gatekeeping: Gen Z’s Path to Film through Social Media and “Penning Your Pain to Purpose” sessions. Renowned social media influencers will also share insights on monetizing content creation.

On the 29th and 30th, the spotlight turns to adults, who will benefit from a series of movie screenings, masterclasses on Crafting Character: An Actor’s Perspective which will be conducted by Game of Thrones Actor, Marcos James; Versatility in Acting: From Screen to Stage to Stand-up, which will be led by actress director and producer Angie Le Mar and FilmCraft: The Art of Casting and Acquisition by director and producer Jeremy Zimmerman.

Additionally there will be fireside chats with actor Cornelius Grant, who played the role of political enforcer Bucky Marshall in the Bob Marley One Love Biopic; Jamaican film Critic Damian Levy and Black Panther Actress, Connie Chiume.

Dr Brown said the town of Black River, which is the capital of St. Elizabeth, was chosen for the location of the film festival due to, among other things, its place as a parish of firsts in Jamaican history.

“First of all, it was an easy decision to choose St. Elizabeth, because that’s where I’m from… The reality is that this festival was cultivated out of the idea that Black River is such a great place, and Black River has got so much to offer in terms of its rich tapestry. Black River has got so much history, and that’s something that we cannot lose sight of. It was one of the first places to get electricity, even before New York,” she told Dancehall Mag.

“We sat down and we talked about it. It was easy to choose Black River, because it’s rustic, it has history and story, and we wanted to attract tourism as well, because we want to do eco-tourism. We wanted to boost Black River, because the town is pretty much dead, and we want to be part of that tapestry that changes the landscape, changes the narrative with this film festival going forward,” she continued.

Added Dr Brown: “It’s not just a film festival for experts. I think it’s so important that people understand that. It’s going to be a chance for people to come down and sit down and watch a movie with their family. We’re selecting the films very carefully, so it’s going to be family-friendly, content”.