Dancehall queen [DVD]

Filmed on location in Kingston, Jamaica, “Dancehall Queen”s’ plot centres on the travails of Marcia, a struggling single mother who works as a street vendor to support her two daughters. Threatened by a benefactor who demands sexual favours from her teenage daughter, and a thug intent on destroying her vending business, she enters a dance hall contest and regains control of her life. The highlight of the film is the depiction of Jamaica’s vibrant dancehall culture. The dancehall, which historically provided a vital space for the development of reggae music, continues to be one of Jamaica’s most energized environments, bubbling with a creativity expressed through outrageous fashions, defiant sexual expression, innovative dance steps, a distinct vernacular and, of course, its ever evolving music. Dancehall music is the present day form of Jamaican reggae, voicing the young (and the not so young) population’s concerns, conflicts, fantasies and frustrations, while offering escapist, humorous observations of oppressive situations. While dancehall music is dominated by men, the dancing is ruled by women who compete with each other to come up with the most risque costumes—characterised by excessive amounts of jewelry, pastel-colored wigs and thigh-high patent leather boots—and the most sexually provocative dance moves. Though the Jamaican Patois English is sometimes hard to decipher, “Dancehall Queen” offers a vibrant portrayal of contemporary Jamaica. Includes music from Beenie Man, Chevelle Franklyn, Bounty Killer, The Marley Girls and Grace Jones.