Icon Eye (2011)

ICON EYE documents the time young California musicians Cameron Stallones (aka Sun Araw) and M. Geddes Gengras spent in Kingston, Jamaica collaborating with Rastafarian dub reggae vocal group The Congos. Produced by Brooklyn-based independent record label RVNG Intl., ICON EYE is a kaleidoscopic companion piece to the album inspired by this communion. Granted a singular and immersive freedom, the filmmakers and musicians lived at The Congos HQ, their mural-emblazoned studio, home and spiritual compound, where they were steeped in the Ital lifestyle, Rastarfarian reflection and meditation, and a rich community burning with musical energy. Impressionistic and raw, sharp yet hypnotic, and employing editing techniques inspired by dub, the film evokes a musical and cultural intersection through refracted atmospheres and a feeling of magical, rhythmic synchronicity.