Idris Elba has revealed that Jamaican gangs agreed to a ceasefire to allow him to film his new movie Yardie. Based on the 1992 book about a young Jamaican’s rise from the streets of London to the top of the drug-dealing underworld, parts of the film are set in Kingston but Idris has now revealed in this exclusive video for Metro.co.uk how the community came together for three or four days to allow the production team to work. Sadly, however, the day after they left a young kid died during a shooting.
‘We shot in an area in Kingston called Rose Garden which to this day has huge gang issues,’ reveals Idris, ‘and young men and kids are dying every day from these battles’. ‘When we scouting for the film, one of our security advisers said: “Look, coming to Kingston is one thing but [to go to] Rose Garden to look for possible locations is very dangerous, we wouldn’t advise it, let along film it.” ‘But we get permission basically and what happens is the local community calls a cease fire for three or four days while we shot and what is crazy is because Rose Garden is divided into divisions, we were casting extras from everywhere.’
‘So even though the storyline was “Tapper vs Spicer comes together”, within Rose Garden there were people that are usually involved [in opposing gangs] coming together, the irony was interesting,’ he adds. ‘But sadly as soon as we left, the night after there was a shooting and a kid died.’
Set largely in 1980s Hackney, the film is based on Jamaican-born British writer Victor Headley’s book Yardie; the term stems from the slang name originally given to occupants of “government yards”, or social housing projects with very basic amenities. The film will star Aml Ameen, with Stephen Graham and Elba in supporting roles.
Remember the name Aml Ameen, because the 33-year-old Londoner is about to get big. Ameen is the star of Idris Elba’s new film Yardie, based on the 1992 book about a young Jamaican’s rise from the streets of London to the top of the drug-dealing underworld, and now in this exclusive video for Metro.co.uk, the Luther star reveals why it was so important for him to cast Ameen in the lead role and how the pair hope the film shows the real stories of British-Jamaicans. ‘Back when I was a teenager I decided to read the book and it struck a chord with me for many reasons, and I was fortunate to get the opportunity to make the film,’ reveals Idris, making his directorial debut on this project, and ‘Aml has been my partner in crime for the entire journey.’
‘I know that from the day we realised it was happening there has been a great sense of excitement, that our story – the black -Caribbean story – has never been told in this way and in this scope, ‘ adds Aml. ‘So titling it Yardie… Dee is suffering from trauma but still loves music and what we did – and what you did in edit – was to humanise that experience, and people will be grateful for that. ‘The colours and seeing Jamaica like that – my family feel like “that’s my Jamaica”, and that’s what’s beautiful about it. And not to be too political but seeing a black family on screen that loves each other like that is quite unique.
You see pockets but a full story..?’
The pair also discuss their first meeting in a lift, how they spent a flight to Los Angeles together discussing their fathers, and the important of Jamaican music in the film.