A Rasta Story - Jamaica, Marijuana and Rasta Culture | Cinematic Short Film

“Message from the I and I“ is a Rasta Story set in the hills of Eastern Jamaica. Drawing on the experience of one particular Rasta and merging his story with old footage of Bob Marley, vintage scenes of Jamaica, and the famous speech of Haile Selassie (an Emperor of Ethiopia), this cinematic short film dabbles with a documentary-style to explore what Rasta means as a way of life. It also touches on the Rasta belief surrounding marijuana usage, ’decriminalisation of herb’, and the socio-economic state of Jamaica. The Rastafari movement has become synonymous with Jamaican culture and has helped to form a global Jamaica ’postcard’ brand image. The irony is that this ‘way of life’ celebrating pride, unity and a fight for justice for poor Jamaicans has been persecuted for decades. Rastas were condemned for their faith and their use of marijuana which they believed opened the mind. In recent years, the island of Jamaica has decriminalised marijuana, requiring a licen