Rockers

(Ted Bafaloukos, Jamaica 1978, 100 min., 35mm)

12 Notes on Film: Reggae. To supplement his meager income, drummer-for-hire Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace borrows money for a motorbike to sell 45s to local record stores across Kingston but, when his bike is stolen by the “mafia,” he’s left unable to work. With Bicycle Thieves as a starting point, Horsemouth ambles through the city and, rejecting inaction, envisages a Robin Hood–like insurrection, enlisting an offbeat group of musician friends to help (some of the biggest names in Reggae playing themselves). Ted Bafaloukos’s first and only feature, Rockers was originally conceived of as a documentary and clings to its aesthetic authenticity with pride, featuring fascinating late-seventies footage of Jamaica shanties, record stores and parties. Outstanding musical performances emerge organically from the narrative, embracing the spiritual roots of reggae as well as emerging genres dancehall and ragga.

Organized in collaboration with Bop Shop Records.