Jeremiah Ra Richards

Having grown up in both France and the United States, Jeremiah Ra Richards learned at a young age that multiculturalism and wine were essential elements in, and to, life. At the tender age of three and a half, his father left him and his mother in pursuit of a happier more drug induced existence. This, however, did not stop him from growing up to be a fine young man. In fact, one could argue, it perhaps left him with a more than adequate emotional sensibility. One that allowed him to understand, and more importantly emotionally relate to, women, and to a greater extent humanity.

This blend of sensibility and multicultural existence has been instrumental throughout his film career. Since graduating college cum laude in 2000, with a double major in political science and French, he has lived in London, England, Aix-en-Provence, France, Santa Fe, N.M., traveled throughout Southeast Asia for 4 months with his camera at his side, and lived in Rio de Janeiro for 4 months, learning Portuguese and falling in love with Brazilian culture. Upon his return from Brazil he created his first video production and editing company, named after his French roots, “Montage.”

He currently lives in Los Angeles working as a freelance editor and producer. He recently finished editing a documentary trilogy based in Accra, Ghana. The first entitled, “Hallelujah!” The film presents an African talking drums version of Georg Friedrich
Händel’s Hallelujah chorus, as staged and performed by legendary drummer Ghanaba together with the Winneba Youth Choir. The Second, “Accra Trane Station,” distills three years of video conversations with Nii Noi Nortey, the Ghanaian sculptor, instrument inventor, and avant-garde instrumentalist. Nortey discusses the African legacy of John Coltrane, and how it inspired invention of his "afrifone" instruments, and a series of twenty Accra Trane Station sculptures and four CD recordings. The third, “A Por Por Funeral for Ashirifie,” follows a honk horn funeral for prominent drivers of the La Drivers Union in a similar style to the New Orleans Jazz Funeral.

Mr. Richards is also working on several short experimental films, and his second feature screenplay.

Along with filmmaking and writing he also holds a deep love for music and its powers. Whether it be its symbiotic relationship to film, its uncanny ability to create mood, or the soundtrack to his life, music has been leading Mr. Richards on transient journeys since the acquisition of his first tape, The Jungle Book. It is thus of no surprise that Mr. Richards, is also known as DJ J.RA [www.djjra.com].

Mr. Richards, otherwise known as J.RA to his friends, has no plans of slowing down, with long term goals including, but not limited to, writing, directing, and editing feature length films, opening a club in Rio de Janeiro, and continuing to travel extensively around the world…oh, and he’s looking forward to his first Burning Man experience in 2009.