‘Jux’ banks on Jamaicans
Respect the Jux, an urban crime thriller centred around a corrupted young man from the Caribbean who ventures to the United States in search of the American dream, is scheduled to premiere on May 6.
The film, which took eight years to complete, is a true-life story based on the best-selling 2010 novel of the same name by Frank C Williams.
Respect the Jux features a mix of Jamaican and American cast members. It was directed by GC Coba and produced by rapper Pusha T. It stars Tony Sirico, Ciera Payton and Jamaican actor Jaime Lincoln Smith who plays the lead role of Cat.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash, Goba – who is Liberian and who resides in New York City – explained why he decided to take the novel to the big screen.
“The book was optioned by the producer/director F Gary Gray for a series shortly after it was published. After spending a year shadowing Mr Gray, I realised that if I was going to get into the film business, I would have to prove myself. The only way to do that was to make a film,” said Goba.
He said the budget for the film was a little over US$2 million. Scenes were shot on location in New York City, New Jersey, and in Fletcher’s Land in Kingston.
Asked how easy or difficult it was to get the cast he needed for the film, Goba said: “It was hard to spot great talent once they came and auditioned. All an actor has to do is be themselves while playing a character for the role. With that, he or she can be directed by a good director. Well over 20 members of the cast are Jamaican. Everyone playing a Jamaican was born on the beautiful island.”
He said that having the authentic Jamaican element portrayed in the film was strategic.
“It definitely was strategic. Jamaican culture is a popular culture that the masses are familiar with. I couldn’t think of another culture to tell this impactful story through. It meant the world to me. This story is based on true events and is very relatable. It was a must that it remained authentic. To do that, even the actors had to reflect that,” he said.
Radio disc jock Steven “Jabba” Beckford, Sharon Gordon, and Shane Powell are some of the Jamaicans in the film.
The director shared some of the challenges of completing the film.
“Finding the right people to complete post correctly. Getting people to do what they got paid to do and do it well. It’s ‘show’ business – 95 per cent show, five per cent business,” he said.
This is Goba’s first film project, although he has been around films since 2013.
He gave an insight into what persons can expect from the film.
“They can expect a deep understanding and insight into a world that is rarely put on film of this magnitude. Some will feel pain, some will feel anger, others will be proud, and most will cry in the end,” he said.
Respect the Jux will open in cinemas in selected cities across the United States on May 6. It will also be available on all pay-per-view platforms including Prime Video, HBO Now, Apple, and Google Play.
“Shooting this film defined two things for all involved, emotions and virtues. Anxiety to begin the process. Patience is to end the process,” said Goba when asked about making this project.