'The Uncondemned'

Pierre-Richard Prosper

Pierre-Richard Prosper, son of Haitian immigrants, brilliant lawyer and activist, was instrumental in persuading the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to classify rape as a war crime. Prosper prosecuted and won the first genocide trial before that court in 1998 and made history with the court's acknowledgment that sexual violence constituted genocide. Before this ruling, the rape of women and girls went unpunished. Nearly half a million women and girls were systematically raped during the war but these atrocities were seen as collateral damage. Prosper argued that in fact, rape was part of a plan to ensure that these women would never procreate, therefore it was not just a component of the war, it was genocide. 

'The Uncondemned' is a documentary that chronicles Prosper and his co-counsel Sarah Darehshori's fight to bring these rapists to justice and prosecute them as war criminals. In the film, Prosper recounts putting the case together and presenting it to the tribunal. He returns to Rwanda to speak to those brave victims who testified about their rapes. Filmmakers Michelle Mitchel and Nick Louvel raised money via Kickstarter in 2013 to make and distribute the film. 'The Uncondemned' will be released in early 2015. 

 Check out the trailer, click HERE

*Photos via Inner City Press and Film at 11.

"Le Vrai Amour d'un Caco"

"Le Vrai Amour d'un Caco" un film d'animation réalisé par Jean Marie L'Amour, sera au grand ecran ce Samedi 26 Juillet au Cinema du Parc a Montreal.

The films tells the tale of the "guerre des Cacos", a little known piece of Haitian history. During World War II, Haiti was in the midst of yet another American occupation. Under the guise of the Monroe doctrine, the U.S. occupied Haiti in 1915. A small group of Haitian farmers put up a fight and refused to allow a takeover of their land which would've been used as a banana plantation. Many Haitians fought the occupation which resulted in thousands of deaths, including the death of Charlemagne Peralte.

Le synopsis du film "Le Vrai Amour d'un Caco" explique tout: "Caracole Haïti 1912. Montreuil, un père de famille patriote décide de partir à la guerre avec les Cacos. N'étant pas sûr de sa survie, il laisse tous ses biens, ainsi que sa femme et ses enfants à son ami Claudius. Vint l'occupation américaine de 1915 et la vie n'était plus ce à quoi on s'attendait..."

Avec: Nadege Telfort, Rose-Esther Guignard, Marcus Darbouze, Wilbert Odestin, Claudy Alcenat.

Watch the trailer --------------> HERE.

Project Greenlight is back!

Project Greenlight is back! It's been almost 10 years since Project Greenlight was canceled. Produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the show is a competition among budding filmmakers with the winner getting the opportunity to direct a feature film. Basically, filmmakers have to "make a movie" while bein gfollowed by dozens of cameras, going from preproduction and casting to post-production.

Project Greenlight lasted 3 seasons, but it is back for a 4th. This time around the show will air on HBO. Filmmakers are asked to submit a short film as part of the application process starting July 24. For more information, check out the Project Greenlight website HERE.

Jimmy Jean-Louis will host Miss Haiti

The Miss Haiti competition is fast approaching. This week, the official list of finalists was released and the event’s MC was announced. Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis will be the host for the 2014 Miss Haiti competition.

This year there are 22 candidates, 10 of whom appear to be from the Department de l’Ouest. I noticed one contestant from the Department du Nord but kote lot bel Capoise mwen yo? Bel ti medam Gonaives mwen yo, kote nou? I’d tell you who I’m rooting for based on the pictures alone but I am waiting to hear more on the contestants’ backgrounds, aspirations and to see how they carry themselves from here on out.

The always dapper Jimmy Jean-Louis is sure to add a dash of Hollywood glamour to the event which will take place in Port-au-Prince on Saturday September 6, 2014. For more information visit the Miss Haiti website HERE.

(Photos from Miss Haiti on FACEBOOK)

"Free Swim"

Nan peyam ge yon pawol ki di "najé pou soti." Yon pawol ironik le'w konsidere ke anpil Ayisyen pa konn naje, malgré nou ap viv sou yon il. Hence the reason I thought this short documentary would be relevant to my readers.

"Free Swim" is a film about people who live in coastal areas who cannot swim. The doc focuses on a specific part of the Bahamas and follows a group of people who finally decide to overcome their fear and learn to swim after a tragedy occurs. Check out the article and the full film on  SHADOW AND ACT.

Set Etiquette: The Art of Keeping it Professional

We love making movies. It's great to follow our passion but often we forget that this is a business after all. Living in Los Angeles and having worked on micro budget films, I've seen some truly appalling behavior: Directors strolling on set 2 hours late, accidents, injuries, fights. You name it and I've seen it.

One of my biggest pet peeve is when an AD has no control over the crew. Control to me means that the crew respects you enough to follow your lead. It's amazing what a group of great people is willing to do when there is mutual respect. 

Another seemingly minor (but it's not!) point is food. Feed your crew and keep them happy! Staff Me Up put together a list of 7 things not to do on set. To their list, I will add:

-DON'T be arrogant. Check your ego at the door.

-DON'T be lazy. If it's a small crew working on a tiny budget, then assist where help is needed. Caveat: depending on how the crew runs, it may not be permissible to touch equipment in other departments. Ask before you touch and use your judgment!

-DON'T disrespect your crew. I've seen an entire crew walk out on an abusive director.

-DON'T network when your supposed to be working. It's great to make friends but exchange information on your own time not during the shoot.

-DON'T turn your phone on. Seriously, don't do it. You may forget to turn it off and then in the middle of a shot ... ringtone!

-DON'T try to outshine others. I've seen instances where an AD tried to insult a great director because she did not attend film school. While I applaud those who attended film school, there are plenty of talented, award winning directors who are self taught. Just do your work, do it well, be nice, be a team player, make a kick ass movie, have fun. End of story. 

Staff Me Up's list of "7 Things Not To Do On Set" can be found HERE.

Back to School Mom

We talked about Garcelle's new project filming in South Africa a while ago HERE. Now we have all the details courtesy of Shadow and Act! 

The project titled is "Back To School Mom" and stars Garcelle, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, Denzel Whitaker and Rick Fox. Per Shadow and Act, the film is about "a 41-year-old woman who goes back to college to finish her last year of school. While there, she becomes good friends with a classmate, who turns out to be the son she gave up 20 years earlier." 

Check out full details --- HERE

"Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti."

I love this documentary. It's raw and unapologetic. Too often Vodou is demonized, but here, the filmmaker doesn't seek to explain, excuse or justify. 'Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti" is a classic, shot in the late 40s by Maya Deren. Shadow and Act unearthed it today and it was a nice little surprise for me. Initially, the filmmaker set out to make a movie about music in Haiti, but ended up with a documentary about Vodou. Some of the scenes Deren captured show unprecedented access to Vodou and its rituals, specifically Rada and Petro ceremonies.

 

Check out Tambay's thoughts on "Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti." Then watch the  film which is embedded on Shadow and Act. 

Vladimir Versailles in 'Evolution of a Criminal'

Vladimir Versailles wears a mask as Pierre the gunman in 'Evolution of a Criminal.'

 

'Evolution of a Criminal' a fascinating documentary directed by Darius Clark Monroe. The film centers on Monroe's experience as a 16 year old who robs a bank and goes to jail for 3 years. The film explores the impact of his crime on his family, his community and the victims. 

'Evolution of a Criminal' is a blend of documentary footage and re-enactments. The director skillfully mixes the two to tell a griping and revealing story. Actor Vladimir Versailles plays the role of Pierre in one of the re-enactments. Pierre was the gunman, one of Monroe's co-conspirators. They were all teens whose life trajectories changed within a few seconds. Monroe interviews everyone from his co-conspirators to the District Attorney who prosecuted his case, the bank tellers and his own family. 'Evolution of a Criminal' presents a comprehensive picture of what happened on that day and the subsequent fallout. Versailles is stellar in the role of Paul. We hear there is a distribution deal in place for the film (details emerging). 

Jimmy Jean-Louis appears opposite Halle Berry in Extant

Jimmy Jean-Louis. Image via Haiti1653.

Halle Berry stars in a new tv show titled 'Extant' which premieres on July 9th on CBS. Appearing in the show with Halle is none other than our beloved Jimmy Jean-Louis who plays a character named Pierre Lyon. For now, it seems Jimmy only appears in one episode, but perhaps there is room to bring his character back, depending on the storyline. 

Extant's synopsis is as follows: " An astronaut (Halle Berry) returns home from a year long solo mission in space. She tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday lives. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history." (Source: IMDB). CBS has been running promos which show the astronaut played by Halle Berry being told she is pregnant after spending a year alone in space. 

Trippy!!

More info on Jimmy's casting HERE

Women Filmmakers

idiva. witf.

Si ou se yon fanm ki ap fe fim, Fox anonse yon gwo pwoje pou ede fanm ki se direkte fim. Yo genyen pou chwazi kelke moun ki pou vini Los Angeles pou pran bon jan training nan fim avek tout atis ak mete an sen ki ap travay nan Fox. Pou plis enfomasyon, ale sou paj Fox la. ------ HERE

Introducing Vicky Jeudy

Vicky Jeudy as Janae Watson on Orange Is The New Black.

If you’re addicted to “Orange Is The New Black” like I am than you know they’ve had multiple Haitian story lines. In season 1, not only was one of the O.Gs Haitian but her entire storyline revolved around trafficking of Haitian children. We were introduced to Haitian actors Vladimir Versailles who played a young Haitian man who brings children to the U.S. to work. Then came the beautiful and talented Vicki Jeudy. Vicky played the role of Janae Waston, a young track star who ends up incarcerated at Litchfield Penitentiary. Janae is a hot head and often ends up in solitary confinement quite often.

So it was a wonderful surprise when one of my favorite websites published an interview with Vicky. Kreyolicious.com, a website for all kinds of wonderful Haitian news, interviews, history etc., interviewed Vicky recently and asked her the questions she would not get from mainstream media.

Check out the delightful interview on Kreyolicious ----->HERE

Mozayik

Hope. When you have nothing left, you cling to every tiny morsel of hope available. Mozayik is a short documentary that follows a group of people as they are evicted from their makeshift homes and tents in Port-au-Prince after the January 2010 earthquake. The tents were to be destroyed to make way for shiny new office buildings. The people were offered $125 US each and were given a deadline to vacate the land.

This is the story about a community coming together to fight against inequity. Augustin Mona, the leader of the group is tested by the authorities and the people alike. There's a powerful moment in this film where it seems Mona has to detach himself from the brutal reality surrounding him just so he can function. As he looks on at a dead body covered in flies exposed in the streets, a surreal scene with a mother's deafening screams for a soundtrack, Mona says: "Once the body is removed then we can get back to discussing the logistics of relocation." It's not that he doesn't care, bu he must find a way to cope in order to function. 

Eviction day arrives. The makeshift homes are unceremoniously destroyed. The group must create a new community in an area known as Canaan. The town takes its name from the old testament and its new residents' faith is prominently displayed in the film. 

Mozayik deftly and subtly explores issues of leadership, religion, adverse possession and yes, hope. As with nearly everything in Haiti, religion and uncertainty are sprinkled throughout. A great little documentary! (Directed by Jon Bougher, Associate Producer Frantz Pierre). 

Watch Mozayik ------>  HERE