By Laura Frykberg
A new Bob Marley documentary is to be screened on Facebook at the same time it is shown in cinemas.
It might sound like commercial suicide, but its director says it will open up a wealth of opportunities.
This quote from Marley is featured in the documentary: “It is mentioned in the Bible that there is music that all people should play and dance and sing, and what sort of music could that be? Reggae.”
It is the Bob Marley ethos which is 'liked' by 38 million Facebook fans, a popularity contest Kevin MacDonald, the director of the documentary about the reggae master, says you cannot beat.
“It's hopefully going to be popular but you can't spend $20 million advertising it, or $30 million, which is what you need to get word out, but through Facebook you can target so cleverly and so carefully to the people who you know like Bob Marley.”
The new documentary Marley will be the first time the half a billion Facebook users worldwide can download and pay for a film at the same time it is in cinemas.
But MacDonald says making money from it was never the priority.
“I was fascinated in who's the real Bob Marley? You know we all have that icon shoved in our faces, on T-shirts, on posters, the music is everywhere around you but who is the real man? So I just went off on this quest, I just started interviewing people.”
The Jamaican singer died of cancer in 1981.
He kept his illness to himself until it was too late, and of the ninety people interviewed for the film, MacDonald still couldn't find out why.
“I'd like to know did he know he was ill before the end of his life? I think he did, I just think he didn't tell anyone, but certainly no one around him knew that he was ill.”
“My life is only important if I can help plenty people. My life isn’t for my own security, my life is for people,” Marley says in the film.
And in spirit of that charitable nature, a portion of the proceeds from the film's Facebook sales will go to the Save the Children charity.
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