Words by Jesse Serwer—
It feels like it’s been years that we’ve been telling people about Better Mus’ Come, the directorial debut from Jamaica’s Storm Saulter. Actually, it has. On Thursday Feb. 16, at 7pm, Jamaica’s most talked-about movie in years will finally get its New York premiere at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theatre. LargeUp is the official media sponsor for the screening, which is co-presented by ImageNation Cinema Foundation and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and hosted by WBLS radio personality Dahved Levy. The event will also feature musical guests AN UNPLUGGED PERFORMANCE FROM MR. VEGAS (!) and a talkback with director Storm Saulter.
A landmark in Caribbean filmmaking, Better Mus’ Come is a striking recreation of the infamous Green Bay Massacre of 1978. Tackling a major turning point in Jamaica’s history, when rival political factions mobilized street gangs and turned a national election into a bloody showdown, it’s the first authentic period piece to bring Jamaica’s sensitive history to life on the big screen. Featuring breakout roles from Sheldon Shepherd (seen last year in Puma’s memorable “World’s Fastest Band” ad campaign, with his band No-Maddz) and model-turned-actress Nicole Grey, Saulter’s striking evocation of 1970s militancy has earned his debut feature comparisons with City of God that other indelible classic of Jamaican cinema, Perry Henzell’s The Harder They Come. Watch the trailer and our LargeUp TV episode with Storm below, get your tickets and more info on the Lincoln Center screening here, and stay tuned for more Better Mus’ Come happenings to come.