The King of Reggae is the honorific title bestowed upon Bob Marley from Jamaica, who would have turned 75 this year. However it wasn't meant to be, as Marley died aged 36 in 1981. For Melkweg and Caribbean Creativity ample reason to organize the Marley75 Film Festival, with Rialto as one of the venues screening the classic reggae film The Harder They Come.
The Harder They Come
"Possibly the most influential of Jamaican films and one of the most important films from the Caribbean," renowned film scientist Barbara Mennel wrote about this crime drama by Perry Henzel in 2008. Not only was it the very first Jamaican feature film, it was also the film that introduced the typical Jamaican reggae music genre to the rest of the world. The film was a smash hit in Jamaica, but was also immensely popular in the United States and later elsewhere. Starring Jimmy Cliff in the lead, whose music can also be heard throughout.
The young, desperately poor Ivan Martin (Cliff) leaves his rural Jamaican village to start a new life in the capital city of Kingston. He dreams of becoming a music star, but as yet this hasn't happened. Having to cope somehow, he gets involved with a couple of drug dealers. Meanwhile, a corrupt producer shows an interest in his music.
