From the rural plains of Clarendon Parish to the urban wilds of Kingston, music permeates Jamaican culture. First-time director Luciano Blotta roams the dance halls and encounters an electric underground reggae scene. RISEUP follows three captivating performers who struggle to make their voices heard above the rest. Michael Andrew Lewis, aka Ice Anastacia, comes from a wealthy suburb of Kingston. His parents give him whatever he wants and support his aspiration to be a recording artist. With all his connections, will he manage to “rock the mic” at Reggae Sunsplash? A country girl at heart, Kemoy Reid’s shyness belies her resonant voice. Whether in the shower or walking down the open road, Kemoy can always be found singing one of her own compositions. Becoming a singer is one of her biggest dreams, but is she willing to give up her pastoral life to chase fame in the big city? Turbulence, perhaps the most well known of the three, comes from the tenement yards of Hungry Town. Turning his back on the violence he knew as a youth, he finds salvation in Rastafarianism. Finding the financing to make a video for his single, Notorious, could be the break he needs. Can he pull the funds together? With cameos from Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare and Lee “Scratch” Perry, as well as lively performances by all three featured artists, Blotta extends an invitation to a fabulous musical voyage.

Filmmaker Q&A

Introduce yourself:
RISEUP is my first feature documentary, shot over several years in the island of Jamaica.  Before RISEUP I directed the controversial documentary short NUTRITION FACTS (2002), which premiered at Slamdance Film Festival and Argentina’s BAFICI International film festival, to rave reviews.  While not directing documentary projects, I pour my passion into cinematography, photographing commercials, music videos and feature films.

As a native of Argentina, I received a scholarship to study film production at the University of Miami, where my short documentary film MY GRANDFATHER THE PAINTER earned the respect of my mentors, who encouraged me to move to Los Angeles. Having spent the last 8 years there, I moved up the ranks of the biggest Hollywood film sets, operating video systems for celebrated directors such as Ron Howard, Steven Soderbergh, John Woo and Steven Spielberg.

It is my work on RISEUP that reflects my passion for beauty and the celebration of life, as seen through the lives of other passionate artists like myself. 

What inspired this film?   How did you find your subjects?
A Jamaican friend from college told me to come down to Jamaica with my camera and do a film about a small fishing village that he knew about. I hadn't seen my friend in years and I had never been to Jamaica, so I went. It wasn't long until I was invited to an underground sound system clash, and the rest is history, as the fish were history. The amount of undiscovered talent bubbling up from every street corner of Jamaica inspired me to do something about it and help them to be seen and recognized. So RiseUp was born.  

What were some of the biggest challenges/surprises?
The biggest challenge was learning the hard way that the slogan "Jamaica No Problem" is a marketing tool for tourists and that everything is hard to do in Jamaica. Getting robbed and almost killed wasn't easy either, but now I see that it was a right of passage after which this culture became like my own.  

Who are some of your favorite filmmakers?
David Lean and Orson Welles for their immaculate craft.  In cinematography, I have been influenced by Vittorio Storaro. In writing/directing, I am inspired by Woody Allen. And finally, Luc Besson for making one of my favorite all time movies, THE BIG BLUE.

What is your all time favorite documentary?
Can anyone answer that one!? Maybe THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA. I also love WINGED MIGRATION, STOP MAKNG SENSE and BALSEROS.  

What other projects are in the pipeline?
A documentary about the Gauchos of Argentina and maybe one about my mother, who not only is a fascinating woman, but also has written a best selling book that changed the lives of thousands of Latin American women who now idolize her. The book is called (in Spanish) "No Sere Feliz Pero Tengo Marido", which in English means something like "I May Not Be Happy, But I Have a Husband." You get the picture...

Why did you become a filmmaker?
I come from a family of visual artists, my grandfather was the first artist to make an animated feature film for theatrical release in Argentina and he was also a renowned painter. So, as I remember it, I found an old super-8 camera in my house and being a big fan of horror movies, decided to shoot my first vampire movie with it. I was 8 years old and I had found my way to paint. I also remember becoming a fan of The Indiana Jones films and deciding I wanted to be a filmmaker. Little did I know that my name would someday go up in the credits of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. I could've never dreamt that, but dreams do come true. 

What are some of your creative influences?
Art, art and more art. Artists. I particularly devour the paintings of Caravaggio and Rembrandt as well as referencing everything I was exposed to at home while growing up.   

Did you go to film school?
Yes, I graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in film production and fine art photography.   

What do you shoot on?
I started my career shooting on film but now everything is going digital. Even though I'm also a cinematographer, I don't pay attention to shooting formats that much, it is all about the story and I have gotten amazing looking images with pinhole cameras or half-megapixel throwaway devices.   

What has been the most unexpected thing to happen since taking the film on the festival circuit?
Being the top ten audience favorite movie at IDFA last November was the first big surprise, the film had just come out of the oven weeks before that and I was presenting 5 years of my life and my work to the public. We hadn't really done any preview screenings or anything, so I was literally jumping off a cliff, into the abyss. It was a moment I will never forget, almost like your first kiss. There will never be anything quite like it.   

Why did you want to screen your film at SILVERDOCS?
RiseUp has not had its US premiere yet and I cannot think of a better place to have it than SILVERDOCS. We are very happy to be here.