Dalton's Dream (2023) User Reviews

Brave Dalton Harris in close-up documentary

[dakjets · 8/10 · 31 October 2023]

I had never heard of the artist Dalton Harris when I saw this documentary. From Jamaica, he came to England in 2018 to take part in the music competition X-factor UK.

I thought this was a documentary about an artist and would primarily be about the music. I was wrong. The documentary does not concentrate on the talent of Harris, but on his big problems in his native Jamaica, where he was labeled as gay. With the very negative reactions this entailed. Instead of pride that Dalton Harris took England by storm with his amazing voice, this is about homophobia.

I read Boy George's autobiography many years ago. In it he writes about a holiday in Jamaica in the 80s where people screamed Dirty Babylon at him in the streets. This documentary shows that such negative attitudes are still present. The fact that Dalton has not even come out as queer makes no difference to the clips we see of furious people berating him in various recordings. Terrifying.

Even his own family is affected by the bullying. (which they think is his fault!)

So this movie experience was completely different than intended for me. But made a far greater impression.

The film addresses an important, persistent theme. In many, many countries it is dangerous to be gay. The fact that Dalton Harris has become a big celebrity and singer means nothing in that regard.

There are probably many in Jamaica and other countries that prohibit homosexuality who are accepting of queers. Nevertheless, it is frightening to see which attitudes towards queers are alive and well.

The documentary also shows some of his unique talent as a singer.

The documentary is low-key and shows homophobia closely and in-depth. It is provocative, sad and shocking to witness.

Let's hope that such documentaries can contribute a little to making the world a little better and more enlightened. There is a long way to go.

Justified journey of a Jamaican singer

[chong_an · 8/10 · 9 June 2024]

This is a documentary about Dalton Harris, a singer from Jamaica. He won a rising star competition in his teens, but his big break was winning The X Factor UK in 2018. The show was so popular that it was broadcast in Jamaica, and he was invited to perform at Reggae Sunsplash, Jamaica's biggest music festival. The performance went well, but the airwaves were full of accusations that he was a "Batty Boy", the epithet for homosexual. With Dalton separately estranged from each of his parents, it was a quick trip home before he went into exile.

The win came with a recording contract (and presumably the documentary film team). While Dalton dreamed of filling big arenas, he did not want to do the typical songs written for contest winners. When he finally released a self-written single, it flopped. Outside the singing contest bubble, he was in danger of being forgotten. It seemed that he might, like lesser contestants, be relegated to the cruise ship circuit, singing covers rather than original material.

The lack of success led to mental health challenges. It was not until 2020, when he came out as pansexual, that he finally discovered his voice, and his role in life.

The documentary is well-made, covering the major aspects of his career, including flashbacks where the material was available. He is shown in performance, working with his team, his self-doubts, and one scene where his boyfriend suggested that, if Dalton joined a cruise ship, he could try to get a job as a bartender on it.