Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Gang members wait behind a zinc fence to attack their rivals in a scene from 'Betta Mus Come'. - Contributed

Betta Mus Come is ready to take Jamaica by storm, exploring the political landscape of Jamaican society.

The film, which is being produced by Firefly Films, was previewed at the second annual Flashpoint Film Festival in December 2006. Now it is going through a six-week filming process which started on April 4.

Written and directed by Storm Sauter, Betta Mus Come is an urban love story set against a backdrop of political turmoil. Set in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1970s, the film follows Ricky (played by Sheldon Shepard), a young political gang leader from an inner-city community. Ricky is fighting against all odds to escape the prevailing hardships of ghetto life and desperate poverty.

After months of incarceration as a suspected political agitator, Ricky is released and, on return to his community, he meets Kemala (Nicole Grey) at his welcome-back party. In many ways Kemala and Ricky are opposites but fate throws them together and what started with antagonism quickly transforms into burning passion.

With Kemala by his side, Ricky tries desperately to navigate his way through the political minefield created by the constant social upheaval that seems to be ever-present in his community. Undeterred by the criminal elements in his community, Ricky sets out on a new path in search of a better life for his five-year-old son Chris, played by Christopher Levy.

According to Sauter, the debut of the film at the Flashpoint Film Festival saw quite a reaction from the audience. "The reaction was heated, people were excited and I received some heavy remarks. I think it really struck a nerve," he told The Sunday Gleaner Betta Mus Come is a fictional story, Storm elaborated that all the events are based on true events.

"After studying the early '70s when Manley took power, there was a very nationalistic feeling. I did a lot of research on that time. There are little stories that are told that do connect to history," he said. This is not Sauter's first film, as he is currently finishing up production on Twang.

Major production

However, he attests that this is the first film that he has been able to do such major production work on, with an extensive cast, designs, wardrobe and props. As such, he finds it difficult to classify the film, describing as a mixture of everything - drama, comedy and much more.

Sauter's expectations in a country where local films are not easily marketed are high. "My expectations are for it to go global, take off where Harder They Come left, and make it bigger. I feel the film can achieve it. Filming it was half the battle. It's going to be very exciting. In Jamaica people love to tell stories; we're a storytelling culture. There are a lot of events that happen that people are afraid to talk about; we're touching on some of that," he said.

Clips from the film will be premiered this December at Flashpoint Film Festival and Betta Mus Come will officially premiere in theatres early next year.