The new animated film, Rhyging Sun by visual artist Jazz Grant, is the latest artist commission by Boy.Brother.Friend. The multifaceted collage film is composed of imagery sourced from The Harder They Come, Jamaican film director Perry Henzell's first feature film (1972). Rhyging Sun is a testament to Grant's dedicated process of research, hand-cut collaging, scanning, and stop-animation.
The artist's connection to Henzell's film stems from having spent time explaining her Jamaican roots to others.The West Indian land remains a mysterious paradise that's intrinsically connected and familiar to her, yet she feels disconnected from over the years through physical distance.
In the new film, Grant frames a meteor throughout a range of moments as it journeys towards Earth, transforming surrounding and personal atmospheres of space. Grant imagines illusory environments of displacement, escape and embrace, resulting in the formation of new dimensions. The seductive yet devastating utopia is a signpost of the end of the world.
Animation and artwork: Jazz Grant, sourced from ‘The Harder They Come’ by Perry Henzell
Music: Dan Hylton-Nuamah
Title design and animation: Ben Smallwood
Special thanks: Maya Elsie, Toby Cato, Jo Alderson, & Roxie Warder
