On Jamaica Day 2026, audiences are invited to experience Jamaica not as a postcard, but as a place of restoration, reflection and renewal.
I Love Jamaica, the latest short film from award-winning young Jamaican director JP Williams, and produced by Archival Eight Studios, is a project six years in the making — a visual meditation on the healing power of the island’s landscapes and the quiet wisdom of its people.
A Journey of an Ordinary Jamaican
At the heart of the eight-minute film is an ordinary Jamaican man played by Junior “Congo Man” Robinson— burnt out, restless and feeling trapped in the grind of urban life. Seeking clarity, he leaves the “concrete jungle” behind and sets out across the island.
What follows is not spectacle, but immersion.
He travels through rivers, waterfalls, coastlines and rural spaces he has never truly experienced. He speaks with people whose grounded perspectives challenge and calm him. He stands beneath cascading water, sits quietly in nature and slowly releases the stress and doubt he has been carrying.
Through each encounter, he begins to rediscover himself.
By the film’s end, the transformation is subtle but powerful. The journey across Jamaica’s landscapes becomes an internal journey — one that restores pride, perspective and purpose.
Jamaica’s Healing Landcsapes
Shot in 2020 during a period of global pause, the film captures a Jamaica that feels raw and unfiltered — rivers flowing freely, waterfalls untouched, coastlines serene and alive.
The locations span some of the island’s most breathtaking spaces, from the Rio Grande and YS Falls to the Blue Lagoon, Bamboo Avenue, Pelican Bar and the cliffs of Negril. But this is not tourism promotion. The camera lingers not for spectacle, but for connection.
The film’s message is clear: Jamaica is not only beautiful — it heals.
The first trailer for the film was released in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, with the full-length project premiering today in celebration of Jamaica Day 2026. If the timing feels deliberate, that is because it is.
As communities continue the work of rebuilding, and as the diaspora and friends of Jamaica rally in support, I Love Jamaica invites a moment of deeper reflection on our beloved island home. It serves as a reminder of Jamaica’s enduring strength and the profound emotional bond Jamaicans share with their homeland.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by JP Williams (@jpxwillo)
The Vision of JP Williams
The film features a full Jamaican cast and crew, including writer Natasha Griffiths and producer Simier M. Lansend — a frequent collaborator who has also worked with JP on critically acclaimed films Uhuru and BLV.
For JP, however, the project did not begin as a production plan. It began as a calling.
“The lockdown gave me a lot of time to reflect on what my true life purpose is and it’s about capturing moments, moments that my heart led me to,” he explains.
With Jamaica’s borders closed in 2020, Williams recognised a rare and unexpected opportunity. “I heard that the borders were closed. I thought it was an awesome opportunity to capture our natural attractions in their true beauty for the first time.”
He and a group of friends travelled across the island for ten days, visiting multiple locations in what he describes as an unforgettable journey. “It was amazing to travel across the island for 10 days. Me and my friends on an Island Car Rental bus, different locations.”
At the time, he had no clear idea what the footage would eventually become. “I had no idea what the outcome was going to be and at first I didn’t think it was going to lead me to a film six years later. But what I do remember is that I was led by my heart to capture the story and that’s what true filmmaking is about.”
For Williams, the project was never about labels or accolades. “I didn’t do it to be a filmmaker. I did it to just tell a story, you know — and that’s really what filmmaking is. Just telling stories.”
What audiences will now see, he says, is “a collection of art. Amazing music, amazing cinematography and the merch.”
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Six Years in the Making
Though filmed in 2020, the project waited for the right moment. That moment, Williams believes, is now.
Released on Jamaica Day 2026, the film arrives as both celebration and reflection — an affirmation of national pride and a gentle reminder to reconnect with the places and people that ground us.
It is a film about discovery. But it is also about remembering. Remembering that healing does not always require leaving home. Sometimes, it is about reconnecting with the island’s vibrations — rediscovering its landscapes, immersing yourself in its natural and authentic beauty, and holding a meds, as we would say, with its people — fully present and grounded.
