Rebel Dread
© Don Letts Private Collection
Synopsis
The story of Don Letts, a first generation Black British cultural mover and shaker, filmmaker, musician and raconteur. The film frames Don’s story with the Enoch Powell Rivers of Blood speech in 1968 and the “hostile environment” immigration policy of 2018. That’s the backdrop and the context of Don’s life – trying to find a place in the world. So we cover his relationship with the nascent punk scene – how rastas and punks found a common bond, both outside the mainstream, and how he introduced dub reggae to the punks. How he became part of the inner circle of the Clash, and how Johnny Rotten took him to Jamaica. He then became a top promo director (London Calling, Chain Gang, Pass the Dutchie) and then he formed a band, Big Audio Dynamite, with his old friend Mick Jones and made music that incorporated dance, reggae, rap, film samples and rock n roll. On leaving BAD Letts became a feature director, won a Grammy for his documentary WESTWAY TO THE WORLD: THE STORY OF THE CLASH, and is now a leading cultural commentator.
Details
- Year
- 2020
- Type of film
- Features
- Running Time
- 86 min
- Format
- Digital
- Director
- William E. Badgley
- Producer
- William E. Badgley, Mark Vennis, Phil Hunt
- Executive Producer
- Don Letts, Christos Michaels, James Swarbrick
- Editor
- Eric Pritchard
- Screenwriter
- William E. Badgley
- Director of Photography
- William E. Badgley, Alasdair Ogilvie
- Music
- Ben von Wildenhaus
- Principal Cast
- Don Letts, Jazzie B, Mick Jones, John Lydon
- Film Image
- © Don Letts Private Collection
Genre
Production status
Complete
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Last updated 24th February 2022
