People tend to feel very passionately about dreadlocks – one way or the other. But does anyone know where they come from?

Elijah MC, who is 31 and has had dreadlocks since he was 17, goes on a quest to find out how a symbol of holiness for the Masaai warriors of Africa and the Sadhus of India has come to be seen variously as a mark of Rastafarianism, a fashion statement or the result of uncleanliness. He is hoping to put the record straight.

Running a social media site called ‘Dreads UK’, Elijah is privy to the discussions between its members. His experience is that – like him - most people with dreadlocks see them as a statement of individuality. It is clear that they all have a strong emotional bond to their dreads but do they know where they came from, beyond Bob Marley and Jamaica?

Elijah visits two very different music festivals to canvas opinions. The first is Glyndebourne opera festival, where dreadlocks are not held in high esteem. He also attends a reggae festival, which obviously produces very opposing views. But remarkably both groups are ignorant of the origins of dreadlocks.

He then goes on to trace the spread and origin of dreadlocks, starting with their multiple birthplaces in India, South America and Africa, following their journey through slavery to the Caribbean, their passage to the Western world as a cultural export and their denigration throughout the 20^th century.

Elijah will cross four continents, meet many colourful characters and ultimately be forced to question his own reasons for getting dreadlocks.

Creative Control

When we first had this idea, we started to approach broadcasters with a view to getting the film financed by them. It soon became clear that they would not fund a film like this without including trashy gimmicks and Z-list celebrity appearances. It was also apparent that a documentary like this would not ask many of the honest questions that our community would like to have answered. 

This route was clearly not going to be an option. I thought to myself, why not have the community itself fund the film and be directly involved in its development and production?

For us. Made by us. 

We are a large, worldwide community. This film is a huge stepping stone for us. Many of you have been with us from the very beginning and have seen the leaps and bounds we have made. There is a huge opportunity to document our culture and without your involvement this is not going to happen. There has NEVER been a documentary like this and we really hope you want to be a part of it, not just financially but practically and vocally too.

But... this is a flexible campaign. If we haven't met our target but we think we have raised enough money to make an equally-amazing but alternative film we will do that. 

We have set up a private dedicated forum on DreadsUK where you can contribute your thoughts and questions directly to the producers of the film. Anyone who pledges to support the film will have access, no matter how big or small. Every topic will have its own section and users will be kept updated on developments throughout the process. 

Music is another big area where the community can contribute. We want to feature your music in the film rather than popular commercial artists. Send us your music!

Crowdfunding is a great way to bring together the dreadlocks community to make a film that matters. 

Distribution

Crowdfunding the film also means that no broadcaster will own the rights when it's completed. This means we can seek distribution for the film in as many territories as possible on as many platforms as possible and ensure the film reaches the biggest audience. 

I have teamed up with Substantial Films to produce the documentary. They have produced eight feature length documentaries, filmed all over the world, secured distribution deals and won awards at film festivals. They have a reputation for combining high-quality production with hard-hitting and engaging storytelling. Check out their website. 

Elijah MC (presenter/producer) | Elijah's life has been defined by dreadlocks. Not only have they determined his cultural and social interests, they have also determined his career path. Eijah had a brief stint at Toni and Guy before becoming a musician and playing at gigs across the country. He then went on to develop a bespoke dreadlocks social network site and is now working with The Prince's Trust as an entrepreneur to develop a specialist shampoo for dreadlocks. Elijah has made many appearances on local television and featured on the BBC to speak about dreadlocks. 

Tom Sands (director/cinematographer) | Although Tom was tipped for Oxbridge, he realised that film-making is not an academic process. What was needed was a much more hands-on approach. So he dropped out of film school and cut his teeth shooting a series of documentaries filmed in eight different countries. He then expanded into music videos and commercials, and in 2014 shot his first feature film, which has so far sold in five territories, including the USA. His experience has taught him how to balance the commercial and the artistic. Tom passionately believes that commercial films can have depth. Check out his website here. 

Phil Harris (producer/editor) | Phil spent the 90s promoting underground dance music events in London. He started with squat parties in abandoned buildings and worked his way up to venues like the Camden Palace (now Koko) and SW1 Club Victoria (now Pacha) and collaborated with Kiss FM. He started his own record shop and internet radio station and really was at the centre of the dance movement. Phil brings this rich background in music event promotion, production and broadcast to film. He now works as a producer, 1st AD and editor on music videos, documentaries and feature films. 

Ramsay S James (producer/location manager) | A former Royal Marines Commando, Ramsay spent nearly half of his life travelling the world before settling back in the UK to produce and direct his own documentaries. His first film ‘NomadsLife’ saw him drive an army truck 6,000 miles to Mongolia to live with nomadic tribes and earned him a Rising Star Award from Canada International Film Festival. Since then, he has produced six more documentaries and is currently developing a three-part broadcast TV series about trees. 

Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help

We wanted to give EVERYONE equal chance to be involved in this project which is why we made the smallest contribution £1. That said, there is still a lot that needs doing that could be definitive to the success of this project.

Things you can be doing:

• share this project on all your social media sites and tell people you're involved
• email people and get talking about it in facebook groups
• there are indiegogo share tools to make it easy to share
• if you have dreadlocks related groups/pages, post regularly to encourage people to get involved. Tell them why it's so important!
  
  Big thankyou for the ongoing support of...