Mark Warmington
Director | DOP
Harder Than The Rock
Documentary
Harder Than The Rock
Documentary
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.
Harder Than The Rock tells the story of their amazing history and follows the band’s final chapter as they dream of performing again, one last time…
Director: Mark Warmington
Producers: James Baxter, Jeremiah Cullinane & Mark Warmington
Editor: Mark Lediard
Executive Producers: Inuka Capita Bacote, Matt O'Casey, Mark Antonello, Mike O'Brien, Mark Warmington, James Baxter, Paul Dyson & Angela Dyson
Margot Films/J6 Films
Supported by
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PRESS
“An infectiously engaging and very moving rhapsody for the groundbreaking rebels dubbed ‘the backbone of British reggae’. A terrific doc that tells a story you can’t quite believe you didn’t know.” MARK KERMODE, KERMODE & MAYO'S TAKE
"I urge people to go and see Harder Than The Rock - it's a brilliant documentary.". CRAIG CHARLES, BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC
"A scarcely believable story about one of the most pioneering bands in the history of reggae." AMOL RAJAN, BBC RADIO 4 - TODAY SHOW
"As the documentary captures with real warmth, tenderness and humour, the band are lovingly back together." DANIEL DYLAN WRAY, THE GUARDIAN
"They sowed the seeds for the UK's love affair with Jamaican music. If it wasn't for this film I wouldn't have known that." DON LETTS, BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC
"The film is an audio visual masterpiece that brilliantly captures the history of British reggae music." KENNY MONROSE, THE CONVERSATION
"Beautifully raw." CHERRON INKO-TARIAH MBE, BLACK HISTORY MONTH MAGAZINE
THE GUARDIAN - Feature Article
THE CONVERSATION - Feature Article
During the release of Harder Than The Rock, Mark and members of the Cimarons were interviewed multiple times on UK television (BBC + ITV) and radio (BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 1 Xtra and BBC Radio London).
After its premiere at Sheffield DocFest 2024, the film was released theatrically and screened during October and November that year at independent and chain cinemas all over the UK, including Curzon, Picturehouse, Light and Vue, before making its broadcast premiere on Sky in the UK & Ireland. Worldwide distribution will take place in 2025, with Indie Rights acting as the global distributor.