HAITI. An afro-carribean reality that taught me of the successful anti-slavery Haitian revolution against the ruling of the french. A place of the ongoing practice of voodoo, when the dead are made to serve the living so that humans and god become the same and a place where story is first, not as pageantry but for survival.
Cine Institute, the only film school in Haiti, is dedicated to developing Haiti’s film industry by bringing together leaders in cinema and education to train and support qualified storytellers meant to build production within the nation. Documenting for this film school reflected just how powerful education is and that putting a camera in the hands of a student not only gives them the dignity of telling their own stories but creates a sense of autonomy through cultural as well as economic growth.
Currently, less than 1% of Haitian high school graduates can afford to attend university. Widespread lack of access to affordable education is among Haiti’s most significant barriers to development, perpetuating the cycle of poverty between generations. The growth of local creative industries are vital to this country of artists and the future of the nation.
