1 month ago
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The official trailer for Jafaican, a comedy starring British-Australian singer, songwriter, and media personality, Peter Andre, is causing quite a ruckus. There are shouts of the film disrespecting Jamaica, Rastafarians and the culture, but others are simply rolling on the floor with rib-tickling laughter.
Jafaican, which has Oliver Samuels and Sizzla in the line-up, sees Andre starring as Gazza “a small-time crook [who] seeks £35,000 for his gran’s care. He overhears a tip, devising a scheme. In 21 days, he must master Jamaican culture to execute a fraud in London and Jamaica, facing life-threatening risks”.
The film is scheduled to have a première at the Gold Coast Film Festival in Australia on May 9.
The trailer dropped on April 10 and so far has 163,208,000 views and 700 comments, many of which are positive, with people saying they can’t wait for the release.
On April 16, dailymail.co.uk blared: “Peter Andre deletes tweet after being hit with major backlash for wearing dreadlocks and putting on a Jamaican accent in upcoming film as fans ask ‘is it 1998?”
The article quoted responses from several people blasting the actor and the film. A follow-up Daily Mail piece on April 22 used the headline: “Peter Andre accused of ‘posing in modern blackface’ after taking on Jamaican gangster role in ‘profoundly disrespectful’ new film”.
On April 18, voice-online.co.uk used the headline “Film festival defends Jafaican, slammed as ‘modern-day blackface’, because it has ‘strong reggae influences’. A second article on April 22 was titled, “Caribbean creatives pen open letter to Jafaican director saying film is ‘tone-deaf’”.
The first Voice article stated that, “one UK-based Caribbean filmmaker, who did not want to be named, viewed the trailer and contacted the Gold Coast Film Festival (GCFF) directly. They described Jafaican as ‘an appalling act of modern blackface and a shameful display of cultural mockery masquerading as comedy’.”
The festival organisers are quoted saying “Peter Andre has a long history of music collaboration with Jamaican musicians … and co-stars with prominent Caribbean musician Sizzla in the film ... the film is set out to showcase Jamaican culture not to mock it. Also that the film “is executed by a predominantly Jamaican creative team” and “shot predominantly in Jamaica”.
The Gleaner reached out to Oliver Samuels for a comment.
“To truly interview me, I would have to go back and read the script I never got the entire script so I really don’t know fully about this story. I just went and did my little bit ... my little cameo appearance, so I really not a good contender for an interview,” Samuels told The Gleaner.
The second Voice article noted that a “coalition of Caribbean creatives” have strongly criticised Jafaican, and “in an open letter written to black British director Fredi Nwaka, the creatives say the project is rooted in mockery and not respect”.
Nwaka, an award-winning film-maker, has since sat down with Richie Brave of BBC1Xtra for an interview.
“I think people watch a trailer and form a judgment based on what they see. But you have to watch the film. Trailers are trailers ... they are designed to do what they do ... get people to watch the film,” Nwaka told the host.
He added that “for every one comment which appears to be negative, I have seen hundreds that are positive and loads of messages that are coming from native Jamaicans that have said ‘I’m not offended’, so it seems to be a certain type of people who are messaging and saying certain things”.
Sharing that he visits Jamaica regularly, Nwaka emphasised in the 1Xtra interview that he “would never do something that I thought derogatory to the country or made it feel you know what or put it in any disrepute. I would never do that. And I was very, very, careful before I put out this film”.
In the comments section, the views were divided:
“A Nigerian openly taking the p^$$ out of Jamaicans through a white man, under the guise of ‘comedy’ is telling Jamaicans its not offensive because random people who watched the film ‘thought it was funny’ thinks he can get away with it because he’s black.”
“Don’t care what the media or those trying to turn this into something else have to say. Some Jamaican icons in this movie too. Can’t wait to see it! Will also be bringing my Jamaican Mummy. Big up yah status @therealfredinwaka.”
“Peter Andre ... is transcending the box they put him in as tabloid fodder and also in a way that most wouldn’t or couldn’t. The film itself is called Jafaican so I’d imagine within it, there surely must be discussions about cultural appropriation and racial politics, et cetera in the same ironic way Tropic Thunder did (although that admittedly seems like it’s done through a 2020’s lens rather than when it came out). From as far I see it’s a black writer, black production, so what causes even more outrage is that they can’t even extrapolate their anger on to the makers of the film.”
Following the May 9 première, Jafaican hits cinemas across Australia on May 14, and Odeon cinemas in the UK and Ireland exclusively on May 20.
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