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The First Rasta poster

The First Rasta (2011)

Overview

Going far beyond the standard imagery of Rasta—ganja, reggae, and dreadlocks—this cultural history offers an uncensored vision of a movement with complex roots and the exceptional journey of a man who taught an enslaved people how to be proud and impose their culture on the world. In the 1920s Leonard Percival Howell and the First Rastas had a revelation concerning the divinity of Haile Selassie, king of Ethiopia, that established the vision for the most popular mystical movement of the 20th century, Rastafarianism. Although jailed, ridiculed, and treated as insane, Howell, also known as the Gong, established a Rasta community of 4,500 members, the first agro-industrial enterprise devoted to producing marijuana. In the late 1950s the community was dispersed, disseminating Rasta teachings throughout the ghettos of the island. A young singer named Bob Marley adopted Howell's message, and through Marley's visions, reggae made its explosion in the music world.
40%
Christophe Farnarier profile
Christophe Farnarier

Director

Hélène Lee profile
Hélène Lee

Director

Cast

The Abyssinians profile
The Abyssinians

Themselves

Leonard Percival Lowell profile
Leonard Percival Lowell

Self (archive footage)

Marcus Garvey profile
Marcus Garvey

Self (archive footage)

Max Romeo profile
Max Romeo

Self

The Abyssinians profile
The Abyssinians

Themselves

Leonard Percival Lowell profile
Leonard Percival Lowell

Self (archive footage)

Marcus Garvey profile
Marcus Garvey

Self (archive footage)

Max Romeo profile
Max Romeo

Self

Extra

Release Date

April 27, 2011

Original Language

English, French

Budget

$0.00

Production Company

Available On

Currently it's not available for streaming.
You can visit JustWatch for more information.

Videos

Official Trailer thumbnail
Official Trailer

Images

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