Unlike most other depictions of Jamaican life and culture, Dancehall Queen is 100% pure and authentic Jamaica. The characters, the dialect, the style, the rhythm and pace of the story are all very real. If you are of Jamaican heritage or just interested in getting some insight watch this movie.
Marcia (main character) has problems. She's barely surviving as a Kingston higgler, her 15 year old daughter, Tanya, is fending off avances from lecherous, 40-something year old "Uncle Larry," and she hasn't had a good man in a long, long time.
When a seemingly unrelated incident sets off a tragic chain of events that leaves her good friend Sonny dead and her brother Junior scared for his life, Marcia realizes that she must take matters into her own hands.
Set in the fascinating world of the Kingston ancehall scene (with a side trip into the go-go racket), the movie is truly a girl-power fairytale with a West Indian edge.
Note: If you are not fluent in Jamaican patois, watch this movie with a friend from the islands. Or watch it over and over, until you get it. It is worth it.
Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Rated: NR
Studio: Ryko Distribution - Video
Video Release Date: October 28, 1997
Run Time: 1 hour 36 Mins