Interview Director 1

Independent filmaker Don McConnell was interviewed prior to the release of his new documentary Reggae in the Ruff. His work has been seen in documentaries on PBS, Discovery Channel and National Geographic TV. This is his first independently released film.

How was filming in Jamaica?

I've been a frequent visitor to Jamaica for almost 20 years and there are lots of reasons it keeps calling me back.

When I'm there, surrounded by incredibly beautiful scenery, listening to good music, hiking around, swimming …

the place kinda 'elevates' me. Jamaicans are really cool people too and having grown up in Ireland, I feel like we share some 'small island' personality traits. So for me, filming in Jamaica? It just couldn't get any better.

I've always wanted to do a documentary about Rasta culture and music and I filmed some sessions with an elder

Dread named Jah Priest. I tried to pitch it to a few broadcasters with no success. Years later I met Johnnie Walker

and decided to give it another try. This time I decided to produce and fund the documentary myself and make it just

the way I wanted. I was hoping Jah Priest was going to a part of this production too but sadly he passed away as

we were just getting started.

The film is an intimate portrayal of these men through their opinions, their music and the way they treat

each other. What was it like working so closely with them?

Well those guys had never acted or had so much outside attention paid to their music or to themselves personally.

So they were really enthusiastic and we had a lot of fun working on the film. They loved that i wanted to keep it

positive and of course they are hoping the film will help them achieve some kind of success with their music. This wasn't the kind of shoot where you blow in for a week or two, film a bunch of scenes and then take off to put it

together.I spent months in Nonsuch on 5 or 6 expeditions, hanging out, jamming music and giving myself time to understand the lifestyle there in the hills. I think I surprised the band by how little I actually pulled out the camera.

I really took my time to absorb the whole vibe. I know I would have missed a lot if I had rushed it.

In the film there are scenes which show the actual lives of these men and other scenes which are acted. Is Reggae in the Ruff a documentary or a work of fiction?

I consider it a musical documentary. The fact is, music and lyrics are a big part of the films narrative. I felt that gave

me the license to experiment a little with the documentary genre and be more experimental. There are several

scenes in which Johnnie is seated, talking directly to the camera. Unscripted. He's responding honestly, off the top

of his head, to my questions from behind the camera. That's a pretty straight forward documentary approach. I

followed each of the Disappointers and filmed glimpses into their lives. Where they eat, sleep and work. That too,

is classic documentary style.

But there are also several pre-visualized scenes that were scripted and acted. The Disappointers loved the acting

part and it gave me the opportunity to explore some themes which were of interested to me, such as … simple living

in harmony with nature, brotherhood and dreams as reality. So all the events in the film are not strictly "captured reality". I didn't just 'happen' to coincidently catch Johnnie Walker just as he was embarking on a mission to leave

the hills and hit the studio. The production of the film itself made that come true.

So, in reality and in the documentary, Johnnie and his friends realized a dream to record and release their music.

Art imitates life. Fact or fiction? Real or imagined? Those distinctions don't really apply to Reggae in the Ruff. In the end, this film is now the vehicle that takes their music around the world. As an elder in his sixties, I think Johnnie's

fate in the music business will be closely linked to the success or failure of this film.

Does your film contain any themes or message that you want the viewer to discover?

I think we all want to believe that there are wise men up in the hills somewhere, thinking deep thoughts. Whether

that be in Nepal, Machu Picchu or the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Most films out of Jamaica these days focus on

some of the more violent aspects of Jamaica like gang life, robbery and police brutality. While those films have their value, I wanted to create an alternate universe, just up the hill, where people can live with positivity and respect.

That's the point really. Johnnie and his friends live, for the most part, outside of the system. For them, that means

not only the capitalistic 'Babylon' system globally but also the system of hustle just down the hill from them.

I think the documentary can be enjoyed on many levels. It's great entertainment with fresh new music. It's a cele-bration of the beauty of Jamaica. It's an anthropological examination of 21st century Rasta elders. And it's an ode

to positive, natural living. Sadly I think it's a film that people will look at in 50 years to perhaps view a lost culture.

I don't think there are too many of these pure hearted elder Dreads around anymore. I hope this film will play a part

in keeping their original spirit alive.