Peter Webber: "Making This Movie Helped Me Through A Dark Place" | Movie



[ad_1]

Director Peter Webber was born in 1968 and grew up in West London. His feature film of 2003 A girl with an ear loop, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth, has received three Oscar nominations and 10 Bafta nominations. In 2007, he realized Hannibal Rising, a prequel to Thesilenceofthelambs. After musical documentaries about Schubert and Wagner earlier in his career, Webber's new film Inna de Yard focuses on a group of seasoned reggae artists – including 1970s star Ken Boothe and Cedric Myton from Congo – revisiting their glory days in the hills above Kingston, Jamaica.

What prompted you to make a reggae documentary?
This film has really returned to the pbadions and pbadions I've had since my teenage years. What really got me hooked on reggae is listening to Clash's first album and hearing their cover version of Police and Thieves. From there, I went to a record store in Notting Hill and I was guided to the original Murvin Junior. This was the beginning of a love story with Jamaican music that continues today.

Inna de Yard is the name of a Jamaican reggae collective that is spinning together. How did you hear about he?
From a French producer on my previous movie, pickpockets. He told me that this small group of reggae musicians was meeting in a cardboard clapboard house near Kingston. It's not really a studio: they stick microphones and everyone comes with acoustic instruments. Over the years, I have filmed some recording studios and, frankly, these are terrible and antiseptic spaces, but it's an amazing place with a large terrace overlooking a valley. Many of these guys have learned to play in their backyard, so it's like going back to their roots – it's something very pure, elemental and merry.

Watch a trailer for Inna De Yard.

This movie has been compared to the Buena Vista Social Club. Is it useful?
Yes, because it has to be the most successful music documentary in recent years and I'm a big fan of Wim Wenders. However, there are some important differences: the world in general was not aware of Cuban music, so there was a great moment of discovery, while the world knows reggae. Also in Buena Vista Social Clubyou see it partly through Ry Cooder's eyes. I wanted this story to be told by these musicians in their own voices. I am only there as an intermediary, to help structure and organize. I did not want anyone from outside the island talking about it. It's through these people, for those people.

One of the film's musicians says, "Some countries have diamonds, some of the oil, we have reggae music." But of course, it is not a guarantee of wealth.
Not at all. They all have edifying stories about their relationship with record companies, and most of them make money on tour rather than sales. But one way or another, they managed to persevere despite the clashes with the law, getting scammed and suffering deaths and disasters in the lives of their families. I really responded to their strength and dignity, because I had come myself to be traumatized: my younger brother died suddenly, unexpectedly, during production. In retrospect, making this movie was a healing process. It helped me through a dark period of my life.

Reggae tends to be dominated by men. Was it difficult to find women to appear in the film?
The problem with this older generation of musicians is that there are still far fewer women than others. Many of them have retired or live abroad. So it took us a while to find someone who was willing to work with us. And Judy [Mowatt, a backing vocalist for the Wailers]When I finally reached it, it was fantastic. Of course, Jamaica is a very traditional culture, characterized by many old-fashioned patriarchal attitudes. But times change and if you listen to Jah9 [the 36-year-old Jamaican singer Janine Cunningham]you can hear the strength of his voice and the clarity of his opinions.


What are your favorite music documentaries?
In terms of reggae, rockers and More they come are a must for anyone interested in Jamaican culture. And there is a great movie that has just been reissued who is calling Babylon, about the English reggae scene. Country man is really interesting too.

I notice it is written "doom-monger" in your Twitter bio. Explain.
This has increased because a few years ago I made a movie called Ten billion, which is the most depressing ecological film in the world. But I will try to be a little more inspiring in the future, so I eliminate the Doom-Monger tag.

When you are does not work, how do you have fun?
Well, I listen to a lot of reggae – and related leisure activities. And traveling for me is a very good balm, especially when Britain feels like a toxic place. I'm looking forward to launching a new project in Britain, especially if it means I could be out late in October.

What is going on?
There are a few things. One is a sequel to my movie Netflix pickpockets, where the action moves from Colombia to Spain. I am also working on a post-apocalyptic drama unfolding in the UK, based on the story titled Helen Simpson's Diary of an Interesting Year.

Inna de Yard will be released in theaters on August 30th. The first will be at the Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House on August 21st.. For more information, visit innadeyard.film

[ad_2]
Source link