TURBULENCE, a charismatic lyrical master from the Jamaican ghetto, is one of the subjects of the award-winning music documentary RiseUp .

Published On:Wednesday, December 09, 2009

AMONG the many offerings at this year's Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is the award-winning music documentary film 'Rise Up' which showcases Jamaica's underground music community and the struggles, dreams, and aspirations of three young artists vying for their shot at success.

Directed by Argentine Luciano Blotta, the documentary was the winner of the "Best Music Documentary Award" at the AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs film festival.

'Rise Up' chronicles the experiences of three Jamaican musicians as they fight for a place in the overcrowded reggae field.

Inspired by the graphitised walls of Kingston, exotic countryside of Clarendon, pristine beaches of Montego Bay, and remote ghetto dancehall parties, the music documentary captures the stark poverty, inequality and violence residing among a talented and proud Jamaican people.

Over a four-year period, director Blotta followed Turbulence, a charismatic lyrical master from the ghetto; Ice, the privileged songwriter from uptown Kingston, and Kemoy, a shy angelic songstress from the country.

Blotta captures the raw ambition of each aspiring artist with an intimate and unique camera style, giving them their first taste of fame as well as a vehicle to turn their dreams into reality.

The documentary also features veteran music insiders and aims to offer inspiration and homage through true spirits of reggae music, including legendary producers Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare.

With compelling footage and high commercial appeal, the film was quickly sought after by numerous broadcasters and film festivals.

Producer Darrin Holender said that "having the film released by companies like BBC Storyville is nothing short of a major achievement for us."

Following its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and its North American premiere at HotDocs, 'RiseUp' has screened to full houses and rave reviews and has gained the attention of many industry insiders and music lovers.

While 'RiseUp' is Blotta's first feature documentary film, the director has previously worked on major Hollywood productions, operating video systems for celebrated directors such as Ron Howard, Steven Soderbergh, John Woo and Steven Spielberg.

'RiseUp' will be shown three times during the film festival: At 6pm on Friday, December 11 at Galleria Cinemas, John F Kennedy Drive; at 3.30pm on Sunday, December 13 at Galleria Cinemas, John F Kennedy Drive, and at 9pm on Monday, December 14 at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas.