Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend

Back in October 2011 I had the honor of introducing the documentary BOB MARLEY THE MAKING OF A LEGEND at the Chagrin Film Festival for Esther Anderson. What is a documentary? It enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement. A documentary emphasize's or expresses things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings, insertion of fictional matter, or interpretation; "objective art". A documentary is "a film based on real life". It is not illusory, it is "real people; not ghosts". It is hard, historical, objective, and true. A documentary is GENUINE AND UNQUESTIONABLE. Esther Anderson and Gian Godoy have done just that. I loved this film from beginning to end. I feel why there is an ORIGINAL soundtrack is because Bob wanted it that way. He opened the door for us to hear something original, letting us know he is not the only one who carry's the MESSAGE. I loved the footage of Haile Selassie and Marcus Garvey. Bob Marley many times gave TESTIMONY of these two and is crucial for the world to understand this. This film leaves you with that. I loved hearing Esther narrate. I felt like I was right there riding in the Land Rover with Bob, Bunny, Peter and Esther. And my favorite part is when she relates about Haile Selassie's War Speech and the first time Bob heard it. Bob Marley spoke in an interview that the first time he left Jamaica to go out in the world was 1973 and for that we have ESTHER ANDERSON to be THANKFUL for. She brought Bob out into the world. ESTHER ANDERSON truly was part of THE MAKING OF A LEGEND. I've been into Bob Marley since 1976 and I experienced him in 1978 and 1980 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The night I watched the documentary at Chagrin Film Festival I know that Bob was smiling down on Esther. His spirit was there. JAH RASTAFARI

Seeing this film with lost footage is like a window or a portal into a time & place & space in 1970's Jamaica the coming of fame or birth of the king of reggae. Bob Marley before the fame! Even the camera Esther Anderson used was a prototype Sony video camera.

I like learning motivation for songs and some gems are revealed here! I don't want to spoil the reveal! Enjoy riding in Esther's Land Rover with Bob Marley driving up and thru the Jamaican rolling countryside. Ever wonder what it would be like if you could have a spliff with the King of Reggae? Check it out here in the film as Esther does.

The soundtrack is phenomenal and fresh and upbeat and yet reggae classic in vibes. I definitely recommend it!

Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend by Esther Anderson I often say that Bob Marley success is not without Esther Anderson .We have a lot to be thankful to her for. At times I do not think we give her enough credit. Bob Marley the making of a legend make Bob more of the Legend he is ... because Anderson was able to capture the human side of this great reggae icon. I am encourage by the out-pouring of support of Bob Marley and reggae. Anderson films archived a significant piece of Jamaica's history in pictures and her personal stories... Thanks . CRS supports this great work of Esther Anderson . True history is the preservation of all facts whether it be good or bad .We do not the right to embellish or edit history because this would be a travesty and a dis-service to the next generation. This films delivers .

An extraordinary documentary about the real human being, Bob Marley before he became famous. A true work of art, very carefully crafted and with a stunning music soundtrack. It is not surprising that it has been invited to more than 30 film festivals. I have watched it several times now, and each time I find something new. This film is not formulaic like so many music documentaries which exploit the artist rather than exploring his or her essence. No, this is different. This is for real. The narrative is built around the first ever footage of Bob Marley and The Wailers at a time when they were trying to cross over internationally, showing Bob Marley, Esther Anderson and Peter Tosh talking intimately at 56 Hope Road. We are taken to a river fall where we see the union of Reggae and Rasta with Bob and Ras Daniel Hartman, the star of The Harder They Come. Throughout the film, Esther Anderson, talks about how she started to work with Bob and the Wailers, and how they wrote together songs like Get up Stand up and I Shot The Sheriff. Particularly emotional is to see The Wailers first rehearsal at Hope Road. This film, and Esther's point of view helped me truly understand many things about Rasta that nobody else had explained before. Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration. Blessed.

Esther Anderson met Bob Marley in New York at the end of 1972 shortly after starring in A Warm December opposite Sidney Poitier at the time when Bob was still unknown. A minority shareholder and co - founder of Island Records, Esther helped to launch the international career of Jamaican artists like Millie Small and Jimmy Cliff from the early 1960's in London. Growing up with The Beatles and The Stones in swinging London, and in Hollywood with Marlon Brando, Esther was the right person to transform the career of The Wailers into the most successful Reggae band in the world.

When Bob asked her to help him and the Wailers, and she listened to their revolutionary lyrics and rhythm with songs like Concrete Jungle, Slave Driver and 400 Years, Esther made a commitment to get them through the door. She returned to Jamaica to launch the band, rehearsing them, photographing them and filming their early development. A passionate artist, Esther immersed herself in the world of Reggae and the Rastafarian culture, becoming creatively and emotionally involved with Bob Marley, writing songs of protest and pioneering a historical social change in the struggle for equal rights and justice for the people of colour. This entire journey was recorded by Esther with a prototype Sony video camera and a super-8 film camera for a blue print film on the Wailers, Reggae music and the Rastafarian culture, and a Nikon camera for the promotion of their new image. Esther and Bob's first collaboration was the song Get up stand up for your Rights, followed by I Shot the Sheriff, Burnin' and Lootin', Talking Blues, Revolution, Easy Skanking, Road Block and War. Her photograph of Bob smoking a joint became the first iconic poster of Bob Marley and The Wailers and later the front cover of their album Catch a Fire. Her photographs on the gatefold Burnin' album, similar in concept to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's album, created the union between Reggae and Rasta, which would become Bob Marley's image around the world. Seven years later, when Bob Marley passed away in 1981, his music spoke to all nations, and today he is the most popular artist in the world.......

Beware some negative reviews of this film, which are ill informed and miss the point.This film makes available for the first time, Esther Andersons personal and intimate footage of Bob Marley & The Wailers. Don't expect polished cinematography, this is very much an earthly portrait of Bob and The Wailers from someone who was actually there. That is not to say that this is not a proffesionally produced and quality piece of filmaking,which it evidently is.

Esther Anderson has been the subject of personal abuse and harassment by racists on her social media sites who are pursuing a hidden agenda to undermine the success of this film. This is a must see film for anyone interested in The Wailers,Reggae Music,Rastafari and its message of universal love and unity.

Them tired fi see we face, but dem cant get us out of this race..