By Marie Y. Lemelle
Contributing Author
HOLLYWOOD — The ninth annual Haiti Worldwide Movie Pageant, a celebration of Haitian tradition and narratives, opens its doorways Aug. 17 on the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre.
This yr’s theme, “Konbit: The Artwork of Haitians Working Collectively to Create New Narratives,” describes the spirit of the pageant and its featured movies. Amongst these, the documentary “Ayiti Pap Peri,” directed by Cassandre Thrasybule, stands out as a robust testomony to Haiti’s resilience and potential.
Based by Haitian-American filmmaker Jacquil Fixed, Haiti Worldwide Movie Pageant has change into a showcase for the tradition and historical past of Haiti by means of.
“My inspiration to create HIFF stemmed from my go to to [the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou] in Burkina Faso,” Fixed mentioned. “I used to be moved by the facility of African cinema and its means to unite and encourage.”
The Haitian Worldwide Movie Pageant now serves the same function for Haitian cinema, offering a platform for Haitian tales to be informed on a worldwide stage.
This yr’s pageant will function 21 movies, together with “Ayiti Pap Peri.” The documentary can be screened on the primary day on the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre and can be out there for digital viewing on the Eoflix.com platform Aug. 18.
“Ayiti Pap Peri” is a journey into the soul of Haiti. The manufacturing, which started in 2019, follows professionals who, after the devastating 2010 earthquake, returned to Haiti to contribute to its reconstruction. The movie travels all through Haiti, capturing the human and financial potential whereas acknowledging the challenges which have lengthy saved the nation within the class of the poorest within the hemisphere.
Thrasybule, born and raised in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, is a journalist, director and producer. She makes use of her sociological experience to delve into the core points dealing with Haiti.
“By ‘Ayiti Pap Peri,’ I wished to showcase not simply Haiti’s pure magnificence, however extra importantly, the power and resilience of its individuals, which frequently go unnoticed by the skin world,” Thrasybule mentioned.
The movie acquired the Greatest Producer Award on the Cannes Arts Pageant earlier this yr.
“This documentary is the results of 4 years of dedication, the place we captured the essence of Haiti — its challenges, sure, but additionally its unwavering hope for a greater future,” she added.
The title of the movie, “Ayiti Pap Peri,” interprets to “Haiti Will Not Perish,” a declaration that resonates all through the movie.
“My purpose with this movie is to spotlight the wealthy cultural heritage of Haiti, a rustic whose story is way from over regardless of the hardships it faces,” Thrasybule mentioned.
The movie’s narrative is additional enriched by the cinematography, which captures the mountains that shaped the muse of Haiti’s unique identify, Ayiti.
“Finally,” Thrasybule mentioned, “I imagine within the energy of storytelling to ignite change, and ‘Ayiti Pap Peri’ is my contribution to shifting the narrative about Haiti from certainly one of despair to certainly one of risk and resilience.”
“The Haiti Worldwide Movie Pageant offers a platform for such narratives, showcasing the wealthy tapestry of Haitian heritage and its affect on artwork,” Fixed mentioned. “With ‘Ayiti Pap Peri’ as a centerpiece, the pageant exemplifies the spirit of Konbit, the place Haitians work collectively to create new and empowering narratives.”
For extra details about the Haiti Worldwide Movie Pageant, together with the best way to attend and look at the movies, go to https://www.haitiinternationalfilmfestival.org/.
Marie Y. Lemelle is a contract journalist for Wave Newspapers.
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