With songs of unity and empowerment, Bob Marley He brought the music of a small Caribbean island to the world. The contagious rhythm of reggae and his lyrical message of peace during the political conflicts in his native Jamaica, made him a legend. His story now comes to life on film.
“He means so much to so many people.“said Kingsley Ben-Adir, who plays Marley in the upcoming musical biopic, Bob Marley: The legend (Bob Marley: One Love in English), which premieres the day after Valentine’s Day, on February 15.
Its distributor in Colombia announced the opening of the pre-sale of tickets from February 8 in Cinemark, Cinepolis, Procinal, Royal Films and Cineland theaters throughout the country.
“So there were a lot of instructions for me. You know, ‘remember her, he is this. Remember, he is not that. Do not do this. don’t do that“Ben-Adir said that, as an actor, there was a lot of pressure.
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“The message was that when I was in the studio I didn’t waste time. And then, there are a lot of people who say, you know, you have to remember that there were other sides to him. He was very gentle and loving and very popular and fun.“, said. “And I think with an icon like Bob, it can be a challenge because his public persona is very strong.“.
For Ben-Adir learn to speak Jamaican Patois was the biggest challenge in taking on the role. She said that she listened to Marley’s interviews over and over again as she was getting ready for the role. The actor also trained at a dance studio in London. “Returning to the studio after filming the movie still fills me with fear“, said.
Ben-Adir did not sing, dance or play the guitar before transforming into Marley, a man recognized for these three skills. “When Bob moves, when he sings, and when he’s on stage, something really profound happens.“, said.
The film from Paramount Pictures, a division of parent company CBS, was produced in collaboration with the Marle familyand, including Bob Marley’s son, musician Ziggy Marley.
At Marley’s farm, now a museum in Kingston, Jamaica, Ziggy Marley He said he originally wanted a Jamaican to star in the film.
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“We look widely“, said. “But what happened with Kingsley was just a personal thing where you look at the tapes and, you know, you see one, you go, ‘Hey.’ You see two and you say, ‘Hey.’ And then you see Kingsley, like, ‘Hm’“.
Ben-Adir caught the attention of Ziggy Marley, even though The actor is taller and physically different from his father. “In my opinion, this is an artistic expression of Bob“said Ziggy Marley.”So height, that doesn’t matter. Because yes, he is taller than Bob. But to me, Bob was a giant“.
Bob Marley It was approximately 1.70 cmfor which the actor said he lost about 40 pounds for the screen test.
“And it was too much. I felt bad. She didn’t sleep“said Ben-Adir. “It wasn’t going to be sustainable. There were a lot of conversations with the family where we said we were just trying to find the essence of Bob and the spirit of him in this movie. Can’t copy Bob“.
The film explores Marley’s spiritual side, Rastafarian principles of equality and social justice and his push for peace in the 1970s, after years of political violence in the Jamaica poscolonial. Focuses on the making of the album Exoduswhich TIME magazine would later title “album of the century.”
Ziggy Marley said the film focuses on this period of his father’s life because it “changed his life.” In 1976, Gunmen tried to kill Bob Marley just days before he was to perform at a concert designed to stop violence between rival groups.
“Having someone try to kill you changes you. Someone trying to kill you makes you think things. It makes you have emotions you’ve never had before“said Ziggy Marley.”This is a period where you came to an enlightenment, a conclusion about your purpose and your sense of who you are. He did not want his life for himself, because his life was for the people.“.
To the founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, is largely credited with bringing Bob Marley and reggae music beyond Jamaica. In the film he is played by James Norton.
“Instinctively, from the first time I met him, I knew there was something there“Blackwell said of Marley. Now 86, he shared memories of their time working together from their Strawberry Hill hotel outside Kingston, where Marley arrived just after the shooting.
Blackwell was moved when he remembered Marley taking the stage in Italy, in front of more than a hundred thousand people. “It barely touched the ground. I was kind of floating towards him, or that was my image of him, because I just saw him, just going.“Blackwell said through tears.
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“Wow. Oh boy. It’s a lot, you know, because it’s not often… super rare that there is someone who has what he had and can touch the world.“, said.
Marley died at only 36 years old, in 1981, after battling a rare form of melanoma. “The last thing my father said to me was in the hospital: ‘On your way up, take me up. On your way down and don’t let me down.’“said Ziggy Marley. And, for him, making this movie is another kind of Bob Marley record.
“We have the opportunity to expand his legacy and expand our understanding of him as a human being.“, he claimed. “But, most importantly, expose the message to more people. The message of love, the message of unity, that the world desperately needs now“.