Project Detail

Harder Than The Rock

Synopsis

Britain’s first reggae band, Cimarons, was formed by teenage Jamaican immigrants, in a London bus shelter in 1967.
Reggae exploded in the 1970s, with Cimarons at its heart. Thousands of miles from Jamaica, they brought excitement, experimentation and sheer anticipation booming from speaker boxes, putting the new generation of Black British youth in touch with their roots - in contact with who they really were. Industry legends, Cimarons worked with reggae-royalty Bob Marley, Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Lee 'Scratch' Perry and even Paul McCartney, but have been hugely under-recognised when it comes to their own music, impact and legacy. Having lost drummer Maurice Ellis to cancer, the band persists, despite decades of exploitation. Harder Than The Rock tells the story of their amazing history and follows the band’s final chapter as they dream of playing to live audiences again, one last time…

Details

Year
2024
Type of project
Features
Running time
90 min
Format
Digital Super 35mm, 16mm and 8mm
Director
Mark Warmington
Producer
Mark Warmington + Jeremiah Cullinane
Executive Producer
James Baxter
Editor
Mark Lediard
Director of Photography
Mark Warmington
Sound
Grau Bardulet
Composer
Cimarons

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Margot Films, J6 Films + Planet Korda Pictures

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

A Distant Call A Distant Call

Director: Andrea Suwito

Year: 2026

In the ancient Bugis way of life in Indonesia, gender non-binary ‘bissu’ were once revered spiritual leaders. Eka, one of the last remaining bissu, decides to leave behind their identity, searching for belonging in a world that insists on definitions.

Solstice on Grímsey Island Nation

Director: Nikolai Galitzine

Year: 2026

When a church burns down in a storm, a remote arctic community come together to preserve their identity as they face an uncertain future.

A reality TV presenter speaks to the camera, looking directly into the lens. Tops

Director: Ames Pennington

Year: 2024

A fun pastiche of chaotic, brash, self-deprecating and clueless 1990s/2000s British reality TV, TOPS sees self-proclaimed future award-winning filmmaker Ames Pennington present their landmark faux-documentary. Casting themselves as an invasive TV presenter, Ames goes on a satirical odyssey through the lives and homes of four unique individuals, exploring the crucial question that defines the transmasc experience: “What TOP did you want to wear after TOP surgery?” Official Selection BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2024 - World premiere Official Selection Kashish Pride Film Festival 2024 - International premiere