Last weekend's Ayiti Cheri Haitian Film Festival revealed the depth and complexity of Haiti's culture beyond the recent earthquake-related publicity it has received.
The festival, which took place from March 12-14 in various locations around campus, was sponsored by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Haitian Earthquake Relief Effort, the New England Festival of Ibero-American Cinema and the Alliance for Haiti. Festivalgoers were asked to contribute at least $5 at each film to raise money for Boston-based nonprofit Partners in Health.
The festival — whose name is "Haiti my love" in Haitian Creole — was organized in light of the Jan. 12 earthquakeas an effort to better inform the University and Providence communities about the many dimensions of Haiti's culture and people.
Jose Torrealba, outreach coordinator for the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, expressed a desire for "adding a cultural element" to the large amount of recent discussion surrounding Haiti. He said he proposed the film festival to push discourse on Haiti beyond the sentiment of, "I feel guilty and I have to help because there was an earthquake."
Torrealba, who has also coordinated the University's Latin American Film Festival for the past three years, said "instead of exploiting the guilt feelings," he aimed to convey "a consciousness of what the culture is. I think when you know somebody or something or a culture and you feel it's related … it's easier for you to care for that."
Kona Shen '10, one of four students who organized the festival, expressed similar sentiments. "I think there's really a need to show different sides of Haiti, considering that we're in a recovery stage," she said. "The beauty of the films is that we can show different sides of Haiti through the lens of filmmakers."
The festival kicked off Friday evening with a screening of "How to Conquer America in One Night" by Haitian director Dany Laferriere. In French with English subtitles, the film is set mainly in Montreal and, while largely a comedy that drew much laughter, is a telling and poignant commentary on the hardships facing Haitians who immigrate to America, whether they have spent years trying to acclimate or are new arrivals full of hope and wonder.
Films such as this provided Haitian perspectives on issues surrounding the country, as opposed to views circulated by the media that don't necessarily give weight to the opinions of Haitians themselves.
Shen, who is traveling to Haiti next week to finish research for her senior thesis said the organizers tried to combine some of the few films they knew had received recognition with some lesser-known films, so that the festival would represent a mixture of mainstream films and low-budget documentaries.
The second day began with "The Agronomist," which profiles the life of Haitian radio journalist and human rights activist Jean Dominique. Shen cited it as a "really amazing … powerful film" that is "heartbreaking" and speaks to recent events. Another film of the four shown Saturday, "Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy," is about Haitian women's roles in globalization.
Festival organizers invited Myrdell Belizaire and Judith Alexandre of the Association of Haitian Women in Boston to be guest speakers after the screening of "Poto Mitan." The two women spoke about issues pertaining to Haiti's current economic situation and challenges to the nation's development and also answered audience questions.
Toward the end of the discussion, they urged caution in choosing how to contribute to relief efforts in Haiti. Many assume that when they donate money to Haiti, their funds are going to the poorest and neediest Haitians, Alexandre said. But the bureaucracy surrounding many organizations prevents this.
"For those who want to (help), do a little bit more research before you choose to donate to the organization," she said. "I want money to go into helping people."
The festival screened four films Sunday, closing with "Dr. Farmer's Remedy for World Health," a CBS "60 Minutes" segment about Partners in Health founder Paul Farmer.
According to Shen, the festival was part of "building a foundation for the long-term commitment that Brown wants to make" in promoting the study of Haitian issues.
The University is already furthering its unique programs regarding Haiti. According to the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Web site, the John Carter Brown Library houses the second-best collection of materials on colonial Haiti in the world and is in the process of digitizing its Haitian materials in partnership with Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti. The University is also one of few outside Haiti to offer two full years of Haitian Creole, and the annual Haitian Studies Association conference will take place on campus in November of this year.
