Wah Do Dem

Ben Chace, Sam Fleischner:
Wah Do Dem (USA, 2009)
76 min. - English
K-11

Wah Do Dem, a film by Ben Chase and San Fleischner, is a story about cultural clashes and an imaginative trip to the mystical Jamaica. After being dumbed by his girlfriend Willow (Norah Jones) just before a trip to the Caribbean, a young musician from Brooklyn, Max (Sean Bones), goes off on the cruise by himself. Once he gets there he leaves the tourist rounds to find authentic Jamaican life. Max ends up being robbed and missing the cruise back home. While walking across Kingston to get to the local embassy Max gets acquainted with some peculiar people, such as a mystical Rastafarian prophet played by Carl Bradshaw (Harder They Came). The authentic Jamaica turns out being almost too much for Max.

Wah Do Dem is a marvellous indie film. The story is enchanting, the casting brilliant and the soundtrack absolutely captivating. With its depictions of the Nyabinghi ceremonies and curious everyday phenomena the film grasps the essence of the mystical side of Jamaica. It was shot with light equipment and a small crew, and it truly glows with real-life atmosphere. The authentity of the wonderfully beautiful film is intensified by performances from classic reggae bands such as The Congos. Wah Do Dem is an extremely entertaining and relaxing experience that avoids all the most obvious clich�©s splendidly. It's no wonder this film has won numerous awards in indie and reggae festivals around the world.

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BEN CHACE (Writer/Director/Producer) is a filmmaker, teacher, and musician. His last short film 3RD OF JULY, which explored the intersection of two young soldiers coming home from war, screened at the 2008 Urbanworld and Provincetown Film Festivals. Ben previously taught a movie-making elective at Brooklyn Community Arts and Media HS, a public high school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and is still involved in the school�€�s film program. He is currently editing the documentary LA MITAD, which is a portrait of a father who was exiled from Cuba at the age of 14, and his son who travels to Havana to find the settings of his dad�€�s childhood.

SAM FLEISCHNER (Writer/Director/Producer) is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and artist. Previous projects include CAVE FLOWER, an award-winning short film about a homeless elevator operator, and TEN TREES, a 60 minute, real-time film about ten trees getting turned into plywood that was shown in a movie theater that Sam made from that same wood. In addition to his own projects, Sam has worked as a cinematographer and director on shorts, features, music videos, and commercials.

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Wah Do Dem

Fri 19th Nov at 6:00pm at Tapio 4