If you hang out in Miss Lily’s in NY for long enough, you’re bound to bump into someone influential ordering a juice and a patty. While setting up for my radio show that they kindly gave me for my 3 month stint last year, I ran into film-maker Stephanie Black, director of the excellent documentaries H2 Worker and Life & Debt. Both films probe deep into the impact of corporations, the IMF and World Bank policies on the Caribbean and its workers. While making Life & Debt, Stephanie stayed in Kingston and, surprise surprise, became involved in the reggae scene, racking up some impressive credentials. She filmed the EPK for Buju Banton’s Til Shiloh (and has since served as a character witness at his trial), has shot some of Sesame Street’s Jamaican episodes and videos for Sugar Minott, Ziggy & Stephen Marley, and even Snow. Her video for Anthony B’s ‘Heartless’ (below), is a striking example of a video that melds her politics with her love of reggae – taking the Riverton City Dump as its backdrop. As with most of her visuals, it’s far from the tourist’s rose-tinted version of Jamaica.
Check out some of her very filmic music videos below, and check out the zine for her piece on how things have changed for Jamaica 10 years after Life & Debt was made.
Stephen Marley – Made in Africa
Everton Blender – Lift Up Your Head
Anthony B – Damage
Bob Marley – What Goes Around Comes Around
Anthony B – Mr Heartless
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