Delroy Lindo’s Jamaica-set directorial debut wraps production
Key Points(5)
- Winston Duke, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Wendell Pierce and rising actor Seyi Andes-Pelumi are starring alongside Delroy Lindo in Jabari’s People , a Jamaican-set family drama that marks Lindo’s directorial debut.
- The film recently wrapped production in Kingston, Jamaica, following a 22-day shoot, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
- Written by Daoud Abeid and Dakhil Hausif, Jabari’s People follows Jabari, a gifted but defiant Brooklyn teenager who is sent to live with his estranged grandparents in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains after the sudden death of his mother.
- The intergenerational drama moves between Brooklyn and Jamaica, exploring family, grief and identity.
- The production also placed a strong emphasis on Jamaican talent, with local actors and crew members working on the film.
Winston Duke, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Wendell Pierce and rising actor Seyi Andes-Pelumi are starring alongside Delroy Lindo in Jabari’s People, a Jamaican-set family drama that marks Lindo’s directorial debut.
The film recently wrapped production in Kingston, Jamaica, following a 22-day shoot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Written by Daoud Abeid and Dakhil Hausif, Jabari’s People follows Jabari, a gifted but defiant Brooklyn teenager who is sent to live with his estranged grandparents in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains after the sudden death of his mother.
The intergenerational drama moves between Brooklyn and Jamaica, exploring family, grief and identity.
For Lindo, the project carries a personal connection to Jamaica. The 73-year-old actor was born in London to Jamaican parents whose family has roots in Ocho Rios, St Ann, and has spent years looking for an opportunity to contribute to the country’s creative industry.
The screenplay first came to Lindo in 2015, but it took more than a decade for the project to reach production.
The production also placed a strong emphasis on Jamaican talent, with local actors and crew members working on the film. Lindo has praised the depth of talent on the island and encouraged greater investment in Jamaica’s film industry.
Lindo has also made the involvement of Jamaican talent a priority. The production employed Jamaican cast and crew members, with the actor-director using the project to highlight the depth of talent available on the island.
“Do not sleep on the talent that is here,” Lindo told the Jamaica Observer, while calling on the Jamaican Government and private sector to invest more heavily in the local film industry.
Jamaican-Canadian costume designer Antoinette Messam, whose credits include The Harder They Fall, Creed and The Book of Clarence, also worked on the production. She said keeping production spending in Jamaica could help strengthen the wider film ecosystem by creating opportunities for local actors, hair and makeup professionals, vendors and other businesses.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness also visited the set, where he met Lindo and other cast and crew members. In a social media post, Holness wrote: "Jamaica has long drawn filmmakers with its landscapes and stories. Our actors, writers, crew, culture and music help shape what audiences see and hear. That Jamaican presence is evident in Jabari’s People, with local cast and production talent contributing to a story that brings the Blue Mountains and the people who call them home to the screen."
Lindo, who recently received his first Academy Award nomination for his performance in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, said he has had several “pinch me” moments while watching the cast bring the screenplay to life.
“I’ve had a pinch me moments as actors have had turned in performances or said lines in a certain way that was on the page,” Lindo told The Hollywood Reporter in a call from the set. “They’re bringing the actual words to life. I’m pinching myself and saying, ‘Oh, it’s really happening.’”
Jabari’s People is Lindo’s first feature as a director and was filmed on location in Jamaica.
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