Delroy Lindo’s directorial debut to star Wendell Pierce and Winston Duke
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The film, titled “Jabari’s People,” will also star Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Seyi Andes-Pelumi.
Wendell Pierce and Winston Duke are set to bring Delroy Lindo’s directorial debut to life. As reported by ‘The Hollywood Reporter,’ the film is titled “Jabari’s People” and recently wrapped production in Kingston, Jamaica, after a 22-day shoot. Alongside the aforementioned talent, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Seyi Andes-Pelumi also lead in the project.
“I’ve had pinch-me moments as actors have turned in performances or said lines in a certain way that was on the page,” Lindo revealed to the outlet. “They’re bringing the actual words to life. I’m pinching myself and saying, ‘Oh, it’s really happening.’”
Described as an intergenerational family drama set between Brooklyn and Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, ‘Jabari’s People’ is written by Daoud Abeid and Dakhil Hausif. The story follows Jabari, a gifted but defiant Brooklyn teenager, who is sent to live with his grandparents following the sudden, tragic death of his mother. According to THR, production notes detail that what begins as exile becomes an unexpected journey through grief, family, identity, and inheritance as the land and community force Jabari and three generations of his family to confront wounds that have long gone unspoken.
Andes-Pelumi takes on the role of Jabari, with Duke starring as his father. Baptiste and Lindo portray the grandparents, and Pierce steps in as a doctor in the family’s New York community. Additional cast includes Rolando Alberts, Sekai Smart-Macaulay, Kimberly Patterson, Jeff Crossley, Kadeem Wilson, Sule Thelwell, Everaldo Creary and Djamari Roberts.
“From the time I got the rights, I knew I was going to direct this,” Lindo explained, adding, “It touched me in my soul as a person of Jamaican extraction.”
Serving double duty on “Jabari’s People” helped Lindo tap into a different creative skillset.
“When I’m working as an actor, I tend to work very, very privately, inside of myself, with the material,” Lindo shared. “And I bring everything to the telling of the story. What that usually means is getting on set, doing the work in a scene, going back to the camper, and preparing the next scene.”
Directing the project required more communication with the cast and crew, making for an even more collaborative experience for Lindo.
“I have to engage with the DP and various crew members on the technical aspect of a scene. And so I’ve had to open myself up and be more available,” Lindo revealed. “Maybe it’s elementary, but it really has been an adjustment for me.”