The feature-length documentary RasTa: A Soul’s Journey presents the story of one young woman, Donisha Prendergast, and her journey to explore Rastafari, the spiritual legacy of her grandparents, Rita and Bob Marley. Born in 1984, three years after her grandfathers untimely death, her knowledge of him and his Rastafarian beliefs have been handed down primarily through family lore, his music and media stories. Donisha’s filmic odyssey is intimate and personal historic, as she balances revelations about Rastafarianism with her own self-discovery. She treks through time and geographic space – USA, Israel, Ethiopia, South Africa, UK, India, Canada, Jamaica – to reason with elders and new-school Rastas about the evolution and global impact of Rastafari since its beginnings in the 30’s.

Caribbean Creativity served as executive producer of RasTa. We also organized the Dutch premiere of the film at the seventh edition of Rootical Vibrations on November 9, 2012.

Dir: Stuart Samuels | 2011 | Jamaica/Canada | Documentary

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Bad Friday: Rastafari After Coral Gardens (2011) is a 63-minute documentary that focuses on a community of Rastafarians in western Jamaica who annually commemorate the 1963 Coral Gardens incident, a moment just after the island’s independence, when the Jamaican government rounded up, jailed and tortured hundreds of Rastafarians. The feature-length documentary recounts the poignant history of violence in Jamaica through the eyes of its most iconic community and shows how people use their recollections of past traumas to imagine new possibilities for a collective future. Bad Friday experienced its world premiere in the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica. Since then the documentary has been shown at various film festivals in the Caribbean and North America, including the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival and Hollywood Black Film Festival.

Caribbean Creativity worked on Bad Friday in the capacity of marketing and distribution consultant. We also organized the European premiere of the film at the fifth edition of Rootical Vibrations on February 10, 2012. Since 2021, Bad Friday is available for rent on our streaming platform YardVibes.

Dir: John L. Jackson and Deborah A. Thomas | 2011 | Jamaica/USA  | Documentary

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Holding on to Jah (2011) is a unique documentary about the history and culture of roots Reggae music and the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica, as told by world renowned Reggae musicians and historians. The film, a collaborative effort by Roger Hall and Harrison Stafford, chronicles the history of Jamaica, Reggae music, and the Rasta movement, bringing into focus the critical roles played by Marcus Garvey, and the 225th Emperor of Ethiopia, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie. Holding on to Jah takes viewers on a journey to the heart of the Rasta movement and shows us how, against great odds, a message of salvation and redemption was born. With courage, tenacity, and faith, the Rastafarian movement emerged, struggled, and continues to thrive. Through all their tribulations they continue to stand firm in their convictions.

Caribbean Creativity was one of the official backers of Holding on to Jah and worked on the film in the capacity of consultant. We created the film’s business plan to attract funds in the final post-production stage. We have hosted various screenings of the film in the Netherlands and since 2021 we are offering the film for rent on our streaming platform YardVibes.

Dir: Roger Hall and Harrison Stafford | 2011 | Jamaica/USA | Documentary

Official Holding on to Jah site  |  Facebook Holding on to Jah  | Watch Holding on to Jah