selected press clippings - Jean

CINEMAVAULT RELEASING INTERNATIONAL INC.
PRESENTS
A Documentary by Jerome Lapperousaz
SELECTED PRESS CLIPPINGS
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CANADA extra
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If you want to understand what is popular music, its power and its role in a
postcolonial society like Jamaica; how the songs (fortunately all subtitled in
French, it’s capital) are able to do better than any study in sociology, translate the
sufferings, the hopes, the dead-ends, the revolts, and the energy of all the people,
then it is absolutely necessary to watch Made in Jamaica.
“Un veritable chef-d’oeuvre,
une reference ultime sur le Reggae.
The women, their revolts, their devastating humour, their incredible force (the
Un pur diamant.”
rappers Lady Saw and singer Tanya Stephens, who, in -good
health return against
Wim Wenders
men and their sexism, both are absolutely amazing) illuminate this film, which
takes into account one of the major upheavals of the island, the feminist
revolution in the folds of society.
“A true masterpiece.
The ultimate film about Reggae Music.
A diamond.”
“Un veritable chef-d’oeuvre,
une reference ultime sur le Reggae.
Un pur diamant.”
- Wim Wenders
- Wim Wenders
“A true masterpiece.
The ultimate film about Reggae Music.
A diamond.”
- Wim Wenders
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De sons et de sang
«Made in Jamaïca» montre une île gouvernée par la musique et les armes, avec les stars du reggae et du dancehall.
Par Stéphanie BINET
Made in Jamaïca Documentaire de Jérôme Laperrousaz, avec Elephant Man, Lady Saw, Bounty Killer, Bunny Wailer, Gregory
Isaacs... 1 h 50.
Trois femmes dansent devant un cercueil, un rasta bondit sur l'autel. On enterre une icône de la culture dancehall, la version
moderne du reggae, qui rythme le quotidien des Jamaïcains depuis quinze ans, avec un tempo irrésistible, des paroles
outrancières, racontant les violences, les ébats sexuels des uns et des autres. Gerald Levy dit Bogle, d'après le nom du rythme et
de la danse qu'il a créés, a été tué à la sortie d'une boîte... à cause d'un combat de coqs. Un bad boy , ce Bogle, un punk qui
portait collier de chien et manteau long cache-poussière. Sa chorégraphie emblématique, que les jeunes Jamaïcains répètent en
boîte et en sound system le week-end, le montre moulinant les bras dans le vide avec trois doigts tendus en l'air qui simulent le
port d'arme à feu : «Bogle n'a jamais été ennuyeux, à l'image de ses funérailles», dit un commentateur télé à son enterrement.
Epoustouflant. Pulsion de vie, pulsion de mort. Jouir, danser, tchatcher, chanter, rouler des mécaniques, brandir son arme,
secouer son derrière, prier, fumer son herbe : c'est la Jamaïque. C'est ce que raconte en tout cas Made in Jamaïca, le film de
Jérôme Laperrousaz qui revient dans l'île des Caraïbes et notamment à Kingston, «800 000 habitants, 300 studios
d'enregistrement». Près de trente ans après son premier film sur le reggae, Prisonners in the Street, Third World , encensé à
Cannes en 1980. Deux jours avant sa mort, Bogle participait à la première journée de tournage de Made in Jamaïca , qui débute
par l'affrontement entre deux autres stars du dancehall : Lady Saw «une Simone Veil funky» dit Laperrousaz, et Bounty Killer,
autoproclamé «Seigneur de guerre» . Pour les besoins de l'histoire, Bogle semble avoir été tué le soir même. La première scène
est époustouflante, plante le décor, chargé de violence latente, de sensualité, symbolisée par une danseuse qu'on ne
quitte pas de tout le film, la féline Nadine.
Impressionnant. Si Made in Jamaïca est, à l'instar d'un Buena Vista Social Club , un documentaire musical et reprend le cours
de l'histoire de la musique jamaïcaine depuis la mort de Bob Marley, il a été tourné comme une fiction, ou plutôt une comédie
musicale, car ce sont les chansons qui servent de charpente. Les acteurs sont des vedettes du reggae et du dancehall qui
perpétuent l'héritage de Marley. Le casting est impressionnant : Bunny Wailer, Toots and the Maytals, Third World, Gregory
Isaacs, Beres Hammond, Robbie and Sly, Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Capleton, Vybz Kartel, Lady Saw, Tanya Stephen.
Le cinéaste a mis en scène tous les musiciens, s'appuyant sur leurs chansons pour raconter la Jamaïque d'aujourd'hui, avec
l'obsession de vouloir démêler les contradictions de cette île enfoncée dans la violence depuis son indépendance : «Depuis le
début des années 70, explique-t-il, les deux partis, le JLP et le PNP, arment les jeunes dans les quartiers pour qu'ils incitent les
habitants à aller voter encore un peu plus vite. Mais la montée des violences est telle qu'il est devenu compliqué de tourner làbas. Des artistes ont même peur d'aller dans certains quartiers, même s'ils essaient au maximum de ne pas prendre position
pour tel ou tel parti, il se peut qu'une de leurs chansons ait été choisie à un moment par l'un de ceux-là. Gregory Isaacs
craignait, par exemple, d'aller à Admiral Town.» Il joue quand même Kingston 14 en pleine rue devant un cortège funèbre,
histoire de garder en mémoire, comme le dit la chanson, que, si «samedi, c'est carnaval, dimanche, c'est funérailles» .
Depuis The Harder They Come (1972) et Rockers (1978), peu de films ont utilisé les extérieurs de la Jamaïque ou la richesse de
sa culture musicale à part un insignifiant Dancehall Queen en 1997. Les producteurs sont frileux. Sur le tournage de Made in
Jamaïca , le neveu de Robbie Shakespeare, qui assurait sa protection, n'a pu venir au cinquième jour de tournage, il s'était fait
descendre la veille. Joseph Current, un des artistes et personnages du film, poète héritier de Linton Kwesi Johnson, a pris une
balle. «Kingston est très violente, commente Lady Saw, de passage à Paris pour la promotion du film. Moi, j'habite à la
campagne, dans les montagnes, je suis moins exposée. Si Bounty Killer se mettait à clamer "Oh, je suis un chrétien, j'ai été bien
élevé, dans une bonne famille, avec de bons parents catholiques",il mentirait. Nous ne mentons pas dans nos chansons, nous
parlons de ce que nous connaissons.»
Rasta papy. Les anciens remettent en perspective les chansons à vif des plus jeunes. Ainsi Bunny Wailer, qui dit se sentir bien
seul depuis la mort de Peter Tosh et de Bob Marley, explique aussi avec sa poésie la fascination pour les armes, appuyé par la
chanson 400 Years : «Avant, nous portions nos chaînes aux poignets, aux chevilles. Elles étaient visibles, mais au moins on
pouvait les briser. Aujourd'hui, c'est comme si elles avaient fondu chez un forgeron et qu'on les avait transformées en armes. On
les porte aujourd'hui à nos tailles.» Plus loin, le rasta papy, habillé en cow-boy, reprend le classique de Bob Marley I Shot the
Sherif . Pendant tout le film, le réalisateur joue presque au selecta (DJ du sound system ), passant d'une scène à l'autre comme
un DJ avec ses platines, zappant dès qu'une situation devient trop chaude. Quand Elephant Man, sorte de personnage de BD,
évoque Bob Marley, il le montre provoquant des jeunes femmes de son public : «Vas-y, chope mon anaconda !» Omniprésent
dans le film, le sexe est utilisé comme une arme d'émancipation pour Lady Saw qui vante les mérites de son vagin. Made
in Jamaïca offre aussi des pages de respiration : un chant d'amour devant un paquebot échoué sur une plage, une maison
de maître autrefois interdite. En plus de réconcilier deux générations de fans de reggae, ce film plongera les novices dans
un univers complexe et passionnant.
http://www.liberation.fr/culture/cinema/260825.FR.php
© Libération
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Greeted by Wim Wenders, this passionate documentary from French veteran
Jerome Laperrousax can be see as the <Buena Vista Social Club> for Jamaica.
Strong in the presence of big names in the reggae scene, Made in Jamaica seduces
the Parisian public for a few days at the Music Festival. Showcasing in a full house
panorama, where music become a true style of life, the documentary of Jerome
Laperrousaz had 9964 viewers throughout 7 screening rooms. It had on average
1423 spectators per screening.
Song & Blood
It pulses with life and death
The first scene is staggering, with its décor, it is loaded with latent violence and
sexuality, that is symbolized by a dancer who never leaves the screen, the feline
Nadine.
Impressive.
Omnipresent in the film is how sex is utilized as a weapon of emancipation for
Lady Saw who praises the rights of her own vagina. Made in Jamaica also leaves
moments to breath: there’s a song about love that is sung in front of a boat on the
beach, and a great big house that is filled with men who were formally masters.
Not only does this film reconcile two generations that are major fans of reggae,
this film plunges the new ones (novices) into a complex and passionate universe.
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It forces us to go barefoot into the musical world… Made In Jamaica is thundering
and shrill. Just like Jamaica.
We get to watch these musicians as they work, we let them speak, while also
incorporating some ‘street’ scenes (at Bogle’s funeral, the dancehall scenes, and
even the night club), Jerome Laperrousaz sketches this history, not in a very
cheerful way, but instead, with a mixture of lucidity and affection that leaves the
majority of the space for the music.
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Guide
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Toots Hibbert
Made In Jamaica Reggae Feature Film in Production for
Spring Completion Published October 16, 2005
Made in Jamaica is a powerful portrait of the leaders of the reggae music
movement and how it has become a worldwide phenomenon. It is the story of
how a small island nation of only three million people took their pain and
misery and turned those emotions into songs that resonate around the world.
Reggae is Jamaica’s blues: a music of both desperation and hope. Reggae
music sprang into life in the 70’s. It was the first time that a third world country
had made its voice heard on such a large scale. Instantly recognizable, the
reggae sound is a celebration of life itself. Now a new generation of reggae
artists has emerged and its fathers are still in Jamaica. Dance Hall, emerging
from reggae, is drawing large crowds across the globe. At its origin, the Dance
Hall concept is heavily influenced by religious overtones. Like rap music,
Dance Hall’s message is powerful and straightforward, with lyrics about sex,
violence, and social issues, including much owomen’s rights. From their
native ghetto to international fame, Made in Jamaica recounts the individual
stories of these artists who represent the Jamaican Dream. Made in Jamaica
Director Jerome Laperrousaz's past films include: • "Prisoners in the Street,
Third World" 1980 (Cannes Festival Selection) • "Human" casting Terence
Stamp and Jeanne Moreau, 1975 • "Continental Circus", 1972
Made in Jamaica Cast Grammy Award winner Toots Hibbert; Gregory Isaacs;
Bunny Wailer; Third World; Beres Hammond; Sly Dunbar and Robbie
Shakespeare; Alaine; Tanya Stephens; Bounty Killer; Elephant Man; Lady Saw;
Joseph Current; Vybz Kartel; Brick and Lace; Dr. Marshall; Capleton
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For as long as there has been Jamaican music,
there has been trouble in the dance. At the
dancehalls, respect is threatened, tempers
flare and then – gunshots. That was the sadly
familiar story of Bogle, the now-legendary
figure who invented the dance bearing his
name. His funeral was a ghetto-spectacular
affair, attracting three generations of reggae
and dancehall superstars.
Made in Jamaica begins with Bogle’s death and proceeds to bring together a dream
list of musicians. In interviews and stirring performances, French filmmaker Jérôme
Laperrousaz showcases musical kings and queens from the seventies through the
present. Gregory Isaacs offers a majestic elegy to Bogle and the Kingston streets that
made him. Bounty Killer serves up an astute analysis of what drives young men from
poor neighborhoods to gun violence. Lady Saw explains how liberating it is to
outperform the men when it comes to raw, sexual lyrics. Interspersed with their
thoughts is their rapturous music.
Instead of shooting performances only on remote concert stages, Laperrousaz often
captures them right in the streets. Sound systems pound out deep-bass riddims on
street corners, in yards and on Jamaica’s famous beaches, as Bunny Wailer, Beres
Hammond, Third World, Toots and Capleton chant lyrics of resistance and
redemption.
Made in Jamaica embraces both the spiritual and the carnal expressions of the
island’s best music. Some artists connect to the suffering of enslaved ancestors from
centuries ago, others to the immediate pleasures of the moment. Elephant Man and
Bounty Killer are especially impressive, whipping audiences of sharp-dressed dancers
into a frenzy. The crowd is always a part of the show in the dancehall, and this film
delivers all the shocking outfits and eye-popping circumlocutions of the human
backside.
Jamaica is a nation of only three million people, yet its music can be heard in every
corner of the world. Creatively, it is a superpower. Made in Jamaica shows why.
- Cameron Bailey
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Toronto International Film Festival presents the worldwide premiere
of Made in Jamaica – with special celebrity guests Capleton and
Stephen Cat Coore.
TORONTO – September 6, 2006
The Toronto International Film Festival features theworldwide premiere
of Made in Jamaica, a feature length documentary telling how a small
island nation of only three million people has made music that resonates
around the world. The first screening, for Press & Industry, takes place at
the Royal Ontario Museum, on Tuesday, September 12, 2006, at
2:30PM.
Special reggae talent Stephen Cat Coore and Capleton are coming to
Toronto to attend the premiere event on Friday, September 15, 2006,
9:00pm, at the Royal Ontario Museum. Clips from the film are now
available for viewing at www.madeinjamaicamovie.com. Made in Jamaica
tells how reggae became such a worldwide phenomenon and provides a
powerful portrait of the leaders of the movement. Filmmaker Jerome
Laperrousaz tells how reggae music sprang into life in the 70s, making
Jamaica one of the first third world countries to make itself heard on a
international scale. The reggae sound became a celebration of life and a
universal message of hope. But the movement did not stop there. Now a new
generation of reggae artists has emerged, influenced by their predecessors,
but creating a new and equally as important brand of music.
Dancehall, emerging from reggae, is drawing large crowds from across the
world. At its core, dancehall is influenced by religion. But like rap music, its
message contains lyrics about sex, violence, and social issues, including
much on women’s rights. Its messages are important, powerful and
straightforward. The film features the best reggae and dancehall artists ever
assembled. Extensive interviews throughout, with names such as Toots
(2005 Grammy award winner), Gregory Isaacs, Bunny Wailer, Blessed,
Tanya Stephens, Elephant Man, Koolant and Third World, the film
describes how they have struggled to leave their native ghetto to achieve
international fame and create a musical phenomenon in the process. In
essence, it is about how they are the embodiment of the “Jamaican Dream”.
Standouts include the story of Lady Saw, who has collaborated with music
sensations No Doubt and is routinely called “The First Lady of Dancehall”.
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She was born in St. Mary in 1972 and in 1994 she recorded the single Want
it Tonight. Also featured is Capleton, also known as the ‘Prophet’, is one of
the best reggae music deejays of his generation. He has produced numerous
dancehall classics and is constantly topping the charts.
Also featured in the film are some standout live performances. Laperrousaz
weaves between the interviews, a selection of the beautiful and uplifting
music of reggae and the grinding sounds of dancehall. The performances
from many of the featured artists capture the spirit and struggle of Jamaican
music and provide the perfect complement to the illuminating interviews.
Filmmaker Jerome Laperrousaz has 25 years of family history in Jamaica.
In 1980 he directed Prisoners in the Street: ‘Third World’ (Cannes
Festival selection), which highlighted Jamaican reggae through the
experience of the group Third World. His past films include Continental
Circus (Jean Vigo and Academy Award selection for foreign production)
and Human in which he cast Terence Stamp and Jeanne Moreau. He has
a special talent for exposing the sensitive and personal and this is especially
evident in Made in Jamaica. He is able to capture the recording studios of
Kingston alongside the pulsing sounds of Ochos- Rios and the morning light
of the Blue Mountains in all its full glory.
Made in Jamaica (a co-production between Lawrence Pictures and
Herold & Family), is making its worldwide premiere at Toronto
International Film Festival. The film will be a treat for fans of reggae and
dancehall and for those unfamiliar, it will be the perfect introduction.
Available for interviews, Director Jerome Laperrousaz, Executive
Producers Pascal Herold and Charlotte Lawrence
Made in Jamaica at the Toronto International Film Festival :
1st Press & Industry screening: Tuesday, September 12, 2006,
Royal Ontario Museum, 2:30PM
1st Public screening: Wednesday, September 13, 2006, Royal
Ontario Museum, 2:00PM
2nd Public Screening: Friday, September 15, 2006, Royal Ontario
Museum, 9:00PM
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