Jafaican: How to watch Peter Andre's controversial film - star says he was 'a bit shocked' by backlash
Jafaican, directed by British-Nigerian filmmaker Fredi Nwaka, tells the story Garry Buckle, played by Andre, as he attempts to integrate into Jamaican culture as part of a con to swindle money for his aging grandmother.
As part of the role, Andre donned a fake Jamaican accent as well as fake dreadlocks, as seen in trailers for the film which hit social media earlier this month. The film has since sparked controversy, with some viewing it as offensive and leading to accusations of cultural appropriation.
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However, Andre defended the film and his inclusion in the cast, telling This Morning he was “a bit shocked” by the reaction. The 52-year-old said: “I think what I found strange is that we took a process of nearly three years from starting this to finishing, and we sat with legends like (Jamaican comedian and actor) Oliver Samuels, doing the read over, doing the script and actually filming it.
“And when we went to Judgement Yard, which is where Sizzla Kalonji, reggae icon, lives, and we were invited in there to do this film. The whole process, if there was any point where any one of them said to us, this is not right, don’t it.”
He added: “I’m Greek. I’ve said this before, when I see films where they play the stereotypical Greek with the hairy chest and the medallion and the big nose, and they do the accent. I find that hilarious. I find (it) offensive if someone’s saying really horrible things about your culture. And so I was a little bit confused, but I understand.”
Director Fredi Nwaka added that production “would have stopped” if there was any concern at any moment from the cast or crew about the material in the film.
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Hide AdHow to watch Jafaican
Nwaka has said that he wants the public to make up their “own minds” about the film. As a result, Jafaican will be made available to watch from home on Vimeo for 48 hours from midnight on Friday, May 23.
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