From 26th of September Polish art cinemas will be playing a documentary of Noël Dernesch and Moritz Springer “Journey to Jah”. So far its projections has been performed during summer festivals like Ostróda Reggae Festival or Regałowisko. Now – thanks to Against Gravity – it will be possible to see it across Poland.
Gentleman i Albarosie are two big names of modern, European reggae scene, very popular in our country. When I was very fresh disciple of reggae phenomenon I was discovering them through Gentleman’s music, whose videoclip I hit watching German music channel Viva. Since today I like to get back to his album “Journey to Jah”. In the movie both musicians show us Jamaica with its culture, full of contrasts. We get to know stories about their way from western world to the small, fascinating island, which has left such great musical and cultural legacy to the world.
About movie
“Journey to Jah” paints a varied picture of the importance and spiritual meaning of reggae on the Caribbean island, where music is used to fight violence, sexism and poverty. As Alborosie says, “God lives here, but Satan too”. For seven years, filmmakers Noël Dernesch and Moritz Springer followed the two “Jamaicanized” artists on their flight from Western consumerism and their search for the roots of the Rastafarians and reggae music, and for a way to give meaning to their lives. Several musicians on the island support them along the way. They play together on the streets and are faced with the joyful, but also harsh reality of life on the island. Footage focusing on their lives as musicians is interspersed with interviews and stylized montages of scenes from everyday life. The result is a kaleidoscopic impression of a world where music serves as a path to unity.
Germany/Switzerland 2013, 92 min
Script, directors: Noël Dernesch, Moritz Springer
Director of photography: Marcus Winterbauer
Editors: Michelle Barbin, Christoph Senn
Sound design: Patrick Böhler
Music: Beat Solér
Cast: Tilmann Otto aka Gentleman, Alberto D‘Ascola aka Alborosie, Theresa Williams aka Terry Lynn, prof. dr Carolyn Cooper, Devon Gayle as Natty, Richard Stephenson aka Richie Stevens, Balfour Constantin Bailey aka Jack Radics, Damian Marley
Producers: Renè Römert, Jan Krüger
Production: Port-au-Prince Film & Kultur Produktion in cooperation with z:Pixiu Films
Distribution in Poland: Against Gravity
Chosen festivals and awars: 2014 – PLANETE+ DOC FF, 2013 – IDFA Amsterdam, 2013 – MFF Zurych: Audience award.
About distributor
Against Gravity is one of the leading arthouse film distribution companies in Poland, founded in Warsaw in 2004. It distributes high-quality documentary and feature films. Its distribution channels include i.a. cinemas, public and private television, VOD, home video and education market. Against Gravity has distributed such titles, as Oscar-nominated “Waltz with Bashir”, Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the end of the world”, Giorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth”. In 2011 Against Gravity was nominated for the prestigious Polish Film Institute award for the best distributor of foreign films.
For more information please visit www.againstgravity.pl and fanpages of AGAINST GRAVITY and PLANETE+ DOC on facebook.
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Kolejna edycja Ostróda Reggae Festival zbliża się wielkimi krokami. Mamy dla Was z tej okazji wyjątkowy konkurs, w którym wygrać można karnet na tę imprezę. Aby wziąć udział w konkursie wystarczy prawidłowo odpowiedzieć na pytanie:
As an official medial partner of Ostróda Reggae Festival we would like to invite you to an extraordinary event. In the rich schedule of the party (14-17.08) education and film projections will be present as always in the Reggae University amphitheater. One of the planned happening is a meeting with David Katz, famous British journalist and writer. On 15.08 he will present illustrated with unique multimedia lecture entitled “Dub revolution: genesis of the most impactful Jamaican musical invention”. David is an author of books “People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry”, “Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae” and “Caribbean Lives: Jimmy Cliff”. His articles and photos were published in such magazines as Mojo, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph or Riddim. David releases records, chips in films, lectures on universities. His monthly DJ parties “Dub Me Always” in The Ritzy in Brixton are a firm element of London night life and he is one of the crucial reggae history specialists in the world.
