On this the 30th anniversary of the death of a visionary it was announced that a preview of a documentary chronicling the singers life will be unveiled at Cannes this evening.
Kevin McDonald, director of The Last King Of Scotland, spoke in France today of his “definitive documentary” on the life of reggae legend Bob Marley.
The film-maker is presenting a preview of the movie, called quite simply “Marley”, at the Cannes Film Festival today to mark the 30th anniversary of the singer’s tragic death from cancer.
“Marley” marks the first time ever that his family has authorized the use of their own private archives of music, photographs and film and should reveal the true influence that the Jamaican Icon had not only with his music but also with his philosophy on political issues.
McDonald, director of such outstanding works as The Last King Of Scotland and Touching The Void, has been a fan since childhood.
“The third album I ever bought, aged about 12 or 13, was Uprising,” he said.
“I never got to see him live. I was too young. See one of the great things about making the documentary was I got the excuse to be really nosy, be a detective, and find out what who this man was.”
Filming has taken McDonald all over the world – from Marley’s home in Jamaica to India, Japan, Uganda, Kenya and Uganda.
“Part of the idea is trying to look at the influence he’s had all around the world,” McDonald explained.
“We filmed in Tunisia because Bob Marley was culturally influential in the recent revolution.
“People were chanting ‘Get up, stand up’ when they were demonstrating in the streets.”
“My interest, in a large part, is why he speaks so much to people around the world. Why, unlike any other popular musician, his philosophy, his lyrical message continue to resonate with people.”
