The legacy of Bob Marley can’t be denied. Jhenelle White looks into the recent documentaries showing the history of the greatest reggae musician in the world
As part of their African Odysseys strand, the BFI showed a screening of Bob Marley: The Making of A Legend, a film made by Esther Anderson and Gian Godoy. The film is an interesting series of lost footage shot of Bob Marley in the early seventies, with a voice over by Esther Anderson, telling us the story of their lives together at the time.
Esther Anderson was a Jamaican actress who starred in films with Sidney Poitier before getting a Hollywood contract in 1973. She begins the story by describing the encounter between her and Bob Marley at a party in New York, just when The Wailers were signed with Island Records and about to release their first album. Esther became their photographer and embarked on their journey, creating songs and travelling with them in Jamaica and America. Most of the footage and photographs shown were taken in Jamaica, a document of the world of a young Bob Marley and The Wailer’s, looking into the social struggles at the time, as well as the love story between Esther and Bob. The conversations that took place on film painted a portrait of Jamaicans and the people that Bob Marley was connected to. As someone who grew up in Jamaica for 17 years, it doesn’t seem that much has changed, the atmosphere feels the same. Watching the documentaries was like watching the memories of Esther Anderson and her time spent with Bob Marley. For me, it conjures up vivid memories of Jamaica and Jamaican people.
Bob Marley: The Making Of A Legend was screened alongside Exodus: Finding Shelter, a documentary recounting the story of how and why the Reggae Sunsplash Festival Rototom moved from Italy to Spain in 2010. The festival is an international event for reggae, Jamaican Rasta and African culture. The journey of the people and the festival from Italy to Spain after 16 years of success happened due to allegations of encouraged drug use among the audience. The film features interviews with famous Jamaican musicians, as well as upcoming reggae musicians from all over the world. There are interviews with the audience, onlookers and politicians describing the controversy and livelihood of the festival. It definitely makes you think about what a music festival can mean to a place.
![Kat Von D Interview with Eve-Yasmine [Live Meets]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yYgOqzy_6cw/default.jpg)
![Cover Drive Interview [Cooking With]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YaN_41hnsgo/default.jpg)
![Wake Up Call/Youth Contracts/Cher Lloyd vs. Cheryl - [Stephen's Weekly News Munch]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/maOkoCdeDno/default.jpg)
