Dead Lef: Visions of Contemporary Jamaica

Programmed by Joseph Douglas Elmhirst

In Patois, Dead Lef commonly refers to land and belongings that are inherited following the death of a relative. Through Dancehall archives, familial craft, and ancestral spirituality, each film in this stunning selection of contemporary Jamaican shorts examines the notion of cultural inheritance via legacies that are left behind. Filmmakers rebel against traditional representations of Jamaica on film, forming their own sense of visual language in the process as they bring the island’s colliding past and present boldly to the screen.

Join us following the screening for a filmmaker Q&A led by Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Marlon James.

Jonkonnu Nuh Dead (2022)
Dir. Ryan Eccleston

Khamaica (2014)
Dir. Khalik Allah

Strictly Two Wheel (2022)
Dir. Ania Freer

The Incursion (2017)
Dir. Sasha Gay-Lewis

Burnt Milk (2023)
Dir. Joseph Douglas Elmhirst

Self Dialogues: Hard Food (2023)
Dir. Amber Pinkerton

God Bless You, My Son (2022)
Dir. Nathan Miller

Join us following the screening for a filmmaker Q&A led by Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Marlon James.