The Upsetter: The Life & Music of Lee “Scratch” Perry

Colour, DIGIBETA
USA, 2008, 95 min
Section: 2008: A Musical Odyssey

Synopsis

Legendary Jamaican musician Lee “Scratch” Perry long since stepped over the boundaries of his original genre (reggae) and became an influential figure inspiring contemporary culture on many levels. The film traces Perry from his young days through to the peak of his career: he was a mentor to young Bob Marley, he defined the sound of modern reggae, and he pioneered a slow and darker version of the genre known as dub. He was also among the first to come up with the studio sound familiar today as remix and he produced international hit songs for artists such as Paul McCartney and The Clash. He built his infamous Black Ark Studio with his bare hands, which he later burned to the ground in a fit of drug-induced rage. The film, shot in various world locations, is both a documentation of musical culture and a character study of genius and madness. His exceptional nature is summed up in one of the statements from the film: “One Lee “Scratch” Perry in this world is quite enough!”

About the director

Ethan Higbee (b.1979, Maine), filmmaker, music producer and artist also known under the pseudonym “nahte”, is a member of the American music duo International Friends. He, himself, produced his first feature-length film from Sri Lanka Haro Hara: Pilgrimage To Kataragama (2003). He has released a solo album and is currently working on his second feature film The Anti-Fascist.

Adam Bhala Lough (b.1978, Virginia), like Higbee, studied film at the NYU. His first film as writer-director, the action drama Bomb the System (2003), won the Independent Spirit Award at the Tribeca festival and was screened at over 25 film festivals. His follow-up, Weapons (2007), premiered at Sundance.