Overview
ONE NIGHT ONLY! Special 40th Anniversary Screening.
Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan Martin, an aspiring young singer who leaves his rural village for the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica hoping to make a name for himself. Robbed of his money and possessions his first day in town, he finds work with a self-righteous, bullying preacher and an unscrupulous music mogul who exploits naïve hopefuls.In desperation the simple country boy turns outlaw, at war with both the police and his rivals in the ganja trade. Ivan’s dream of stardom soon becomes a reality as he rises to the top of the pop charts and the most-wanted lists.Premiering one year after the release of Shaft and one year before Bob Marley and the Wailers 'Catch a Fire dropped, Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come combined blaxploitation fantasies with developing-world realities and in the process, brought reggae music to the world. The first feature-length film from Jamaica-which at the time of it's original release had been an independent country for only 10 years after three centuries of British rule, The Harder They Come is the definitive postcolonial cult-movie musical.This gritty, groundbreaking film brought reggae music to the international stage, made Jimmy Cliff a star worldwide, and demonstrated that music and art can change the world.