Rasta Gracie and the healing plants of Jamaica

A film by Lars Barthel & Marian Kiss | ARTE | 2023

Reggae, marijuana, wild dreadlocks, their belief in the black Messiah and images of insurrection in the ghettos of Kingston in the 70s, shape the image of Jamaica’s Rastafarians.

That is the cliché. But over 30,000 Jamaican Rastafarians live a mindful life connected to nature. Many have profound knowledge of plants and their healing powers, making them appealing for young Jamaicans and the rest of the world. Rasta Gracie, who is called Empress, because she is so beautiful, is a single mother and has a big dream: She wants to open up a vegetable shop in her small Jamaican village according to the Rastafarian sustainability rules. The film is a sneak peak in to the positive and nature connected world of a community, that has more to offer than just Reggae.