Independent: Carl Bradshaw, Sean Bones, and Norah Jones in “Wah Do Dem”

“Wah Do Dem” brings back an interesting style of filmmaking that we don’t see much any more, a true guerilla style. And for that reason, it’s a standout from the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. Also, it’s got an interesting cast. Norah Jones and Sean Bones are great casting choices, and for that incredible touch of authenticity in this film, Carl Bradshaw. The most important member of that cast, though, is the island of Jamaica. Films shot here are always beautiful, but few films show the beauty that isn’t tourist-freindly. This film does, and it works.

Check the story:

Max (Sean Bones) lives in Brooklyn. He enjoys playing soccer, skateboarding, and drinking with his friends at local bars. Last summer he and his girlfriend, Willow (Norah Jones), won a free cruise to Jamaica but two days before the trip she dumps him cold. When his friends flake, Max winds up alone on the high seas, navigating the crowds of gray-haired cruisers. Over the course of several days he flirts with the staff photographer, drinks cocktails with the boat’s celebrity juggler and has several strange encounters with the only other loner (Kevin Bewersdorf).

When the cruise liner docks in Jamaica, Max escapes the tourist zone as fast as he can. At a local jerk stand he meets a charming Rasta who offers to show him a secret beach. Feeling irie as he lounges on the tropical sand with his new friends, Max loses track of time and his personal belongings. In his pathetic attempt to do something about it, he finds that the cultural divides he thought he could transcend are not so simple. Naked and broke in a foreign country where he stands out like a sore thumb, Max begins to make his way toward the American Embassy in Kingston. Along the road Jamaica is waiting to meet him.

Wah Do Dem co-creators, Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner have been friends since kindergarten. Two years ago Ben won a cruise in a raffle and invited Sam along for the vacation. Both young filmmakers, they decided to turn the trip into a project. With a mutual love for Jamaican culture and a free boat ride to the Caribean, they began to map out the story’s possible scenarios. Two additional cruise tickets were bought for Sean Bones, the lead, and Kevin Bewersdorf, sound recordist/actor. The crew of four boarded the luxury vessel in Red Hook, Brooklyn and sailed for one week. Once in Jamaica they were joined by producer, Katina Hubbard for two weeks of Island production.

For more on this project, check their website!