Director Reinaldo Marcus Green knew that helming a film about the legendary Bob Marley was going to be a monumental task, but if the musician’s life taught him anything, it’s not to be afraid. “Somebody’s got to raise their hand and say, ‘I’m willing to take a chance.’ I think that for anything great in life, you have to be willing to take that shot,” he says. That fearlessness has translated into a film that not only brings the story of one of the greatest musicians of all time to life but tells it in a way that resonates even with Bob’s own family.
The involvement of the Marley family was vital to the creation of Bob Marley: One Love, with the movie’s director Reinaldo Marcus Green, and star Kingsley Ben-Adir not wanting to take the job without the family’s full support. “No chance,” confirms Green. “To have the family’s trust early on was so important for me. They’re protective for all the right reasons, as any child would be of their father. I find that very endearing. And it meant that I felt like I had a forcefield around me. That they were there to support me and my vision for the film.”
His vision for the film started very early on, as growing up, director Green says that Bob Marley and his music were pervasive in his formative years. “My favorite number is 42,” He says. “Bob lived at 42 Oakley Street [when he was staying in London’s Chelsea, writing Exodus, in the ‘70s]. So, maybe my doing this was written. Like for so many of us, Bob was a staple in our house, growing up. His music is rebel music. It’s warrior music. It’s the voice of the people. Bob sings about everything I try to stand for in my life. That integrity is the foundation of this film. I feel like I was made to make it.”
He also feels a personal connection to the musician, as he was named after the Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, whose work has inspired Marley’s music. He explains, “I felt a personal connection to Bob Marley: One Love. I was named after Marcus Garvey – Reinaldo Marcus Green – because my father wanted us to remember our history.”
In the end, it’s all about honoring the story of a man that has moved the world with his music and actions, and telling it in a way that’s never been done before. “It aims to debunk the myths about Bob, to delicately weave uncomfortable truths, and honour the man who gave us so much joy. It lives between the lines, beyond the surface,” he explains.
Watch the story of a legend unfold as Bob Marley: One Love opens in Philippine cinemas on March 13.