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WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) were the biggest rock band in Zambia in the 1970s and spearheaded a new genre dubbed Zamrock, fusing influences that ranged from the Rolling Stones to Black Sabbath and James Brown and mixing them with traditional African rhythms and bush village songs. At the peak of their popularity, the band often needed police to keep fans at bay while their lead singer Jagari - whose name is an Africanisation of Mick Jagger’s - riled up crowds by stage diving from balconies and dancing manically as the WITCH’s blend of psychedelic rock and African rhythms permeated the surrounding atmosphere.
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Jagari is the charismatic sole surviving original member of the band. As Zambia’s economy stagnated and the country buckled under the AIDS crisis, WITCH fell apart. Jagari retreated to a life of quasi-anonymity as a university music professor before being wrongfully arrested during Zambia’s toughest hour. Now a man in his 60s, he spends his time mining gemstones hoping to strike it rich, until very recently the band being just a nostalgic memory of his youth.
Largely unknown outside of their home country, WITCH finally got the exposure they deserved when Now Again Records reissued their entire discography in 2012. This allowed Jagari to play outside Africa for the first time and for a new generation of fans to discover his music. In 2016 he began a collaboration with Dutch musicians Jacco Gardner and Nic Mauskoviç, and together with them, in September 2017 WITCH headed out on its extremely successful first ever European Tour which was captured by our crew.
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This was the realisation of Jagari's Rock 'n' Roll dream - to play in front dancing crowds at sold-out shows in Amsterdam, Paris and London (where they also did a live session for Boiler Room) before supporting the headliners at Liverpool Psych Fest in front of about 800 people, was something he'd only have dreamt about in his youth, but has now become a fervent reality.
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(Audience during WITCH's set at Liverpool Psych Fest)
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We Intend to Cause Havoc will put a psychedelic spin on the classic rock and roll tale, taking the audience on a journey deep into Zambia, unraveling Jagari's incredible story, following his successes and struggles which have reflected Zambia's own through the years. The documentary will at the same time allow the viewer to discover the country through its vast natural beauty, social history and unique musical movement: Zamrock.
Archive footage of 1960s and 70s Zambia will be interspersed with beautiful 4K, Super 8mm and VHS footage shot following Jagari's present day story. Animations will bring the energy of Zamrock to life, mixing a Western rock'n'roll aesthetic with African textures and patterns. Combined, these elements give the film a fuzzed-out, psychedelic feel, accentuated by both the music of the WITCH and a soundtrack score especially composed for the film by the "New WITCH".
Beginning its journey in a Zambian mud-hut village in 1951 and ending in front of adoring European crowds in 2017, We Intend To Cause Havoc's goal is to remind the audience to believe that anything is possible if you follow your passion and talent.
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Currently, our most pressing goal is the post-production that will lead us to a rough cut. We have already been getting interest from the Major European Documentary Festivals and once the rough cut is ready we'll be able to get back to them in order to start a strong festival campaign leading to a theatrical release as well as airtime on documentary TV channels.
We need your support for this critical final phase of production, which will allow us to showcase the film to the distributors and partners who will be able to make this dream a reality. In return, not only you'll be a crucial part of allowing this story to be told, but you’ll also receive some unique perks relating to WITCH, Zambia, and the European tour. These include postcards, tour posters, DVDs, Signed Records, typical Zambian Copper Bracelets, T-Shirts, Concert Prints and the iconic WITCH hats as worn by the band onstage.
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The entirety of the film has been kept independent in nature up until now. Thanks to your help, we will keep our independent ethos and maintain creative control while putting the film together and telling the story in the most interesting way possible.
These are the areas of production towards which we will be directing the funds towards:
- Editing + Sound Mix (40%)
- Animations + Soundtrack (30%)
- Project Syncing (15%)
- Equipment Hire Costs (5%)
- Perks Fulfilment (10%)
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What initially begun as an interview for Gio's experimental music blog Is Your Clam In A Jam? eventually turned into his first feature length documentary after discovering Jagari's groundbreaking music and exceptional life. His knowledge and passion will be easily transmitted to the audience in a way that will allow them to feel the same emotions he felt upon first hearing the story. His experimental approach and close collaboration with Tim Spreng will offer your eyes and heart a unique experience.
Tim's ability to capture the unexpected is what will make the film's visuals stand out. His involvement in the project began three years ago, when he started working with Gio and Jagari, and his excitement for the story has been growing ever since. Using a RED camera sensor paired with old Zeiss lenses, he obtained the film's unique photography. Tim's sense for perfection and economic approach helped him produce feature films, ads and music videos through Pantheon Pictures, his Prague based production company.
Cem Serter - Executive Producer
Former DJ, Record Label A&R (Low Brow Music) and advisor.
With his expertise and network, he has been instrumental in bringing the project from idea to substance, and continues to carry out his role both on and off location.
Pantheon Pictures has been a crucial part in the project's success so far. Involving an experienced production team including Pavlina Zipkova (Production Supervisor) and Anne Lund (Associate Producer), for the previous shoots guaranteed and independent yet well planned and organised production.
My Accomplice is a boutique London-based production company led by Jamie Clark (LCD Soundsystem: Shut Up and Play the Hits, The Libertines: There Are No Innocent Bystanders). The company focuses on producing culture-led and creative documentaries for theatrical release alongside a commercial production arm. My Accomplice's first feature The Quiet One will be released in 2018 through IFC / Sundance Selects.