Billy Mystic - photo by LEVAUGHN FLYNN

Director Rick Elgood will show another side of Jamaica in a true story 'docudrama' called Surf Rasta.

The film is a group of teenaged Rastafarians who, through their mentor 'Mystic', (played by Anthony 'Billy Mystic' Wilmot, lead singer of the Mystic Revealers), learn to surf and against all the odds (both monetary and social) fulfil their dream to compete in the World Surfing Games in Ecuador. The storyline is similar to the hit Jamaican movie Cool Runnings.

"It's not a gangster, gun, ghetto thing. This is about surfing and skateboarding. This is the contemporary lifestyle that exists in Jamaica. Surfing, skating, rasta and reggae, they love it, all the kids around the world. The whole culture will really appeal to them. It opens a side of Jamaica that nobody has ever seen," said Elgood who directed films like One Love and Dancehall Queen.

Elgood said he was inspired by Wilmot, who is the Jamaica Surfing Association president, and his surfing children Icah, Inilek and Ishak. Their desire to go to the World Surfing Championship provided Elgood with the initial idea. Further inspiration was provided by the Romeo and Juliet story of Luke Williams and Danielle Ohayon (Miss Jamaica World 2002), whose relationship was frowned upon by her parents.

World Surfing Championship

With the basics in mind, Elgood brought the idea to Trevor Rhone, who interviewed the cast and wrote the movie.

With half the movie shot in Jamaica and the rest in Ecuador, the cast was followed to the World Surfing Championship and events like Passa Passa and Jamaica Carnival. They also went to Bull Bay in St Thomas and Waterhouse, Kingston.

"I like the fresh spirit. I was going for naturality in it. They were supposed to really be in the situation and the stuff they were doing was real," Elgood told The Sunday Gleaner.

"A lot of it was spontaneous and ad lib. I didn't know what was gonna happen in the surfing championship. They moved up five places in the World Surfing Championship, he continued."

Elgood said he liked working on the film with the experienced actors especially on a film that is positive.

"I totally enjoyed it. It was a great experience. It was something positive and uplifting. It will be of interest in the Jamaica market but I think the real place will be in the international market," he said of the low-budget film which took four months to film.

Elgood said the movie process was delayed because clearance was needed for the soundtrack songs, which were done by artistes like Elephant Man, Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Sizzla, Wayne Wonder and Bounty Killer. The film, which was produced by Cane River Pictures, VP records and Geejam Films in Jamaica, will be available for sales/distribution worldwide in another few months.

Elgood said that there should be a premiere of the film within two months.

Surf Rasta director Rick Elgood - Contributed