Three weeks ago, the Republic of Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake that left the country all but leveled. The international world's response was swift and generous, but some segment of the populace inevitably pose the unmentionable question: is it worth it? For the longest time, Haiti has suffered problems ranging from illiteracy to extreme poverty to political violence. Yet they persevered somehow, as they are trying now.
So on that note, I thought it might be an appropriate time to point out a film highlighting an earlier case of Haitian perseverance, in the 2003 Jonathan Demme documentary The Agronomist.
From the early 1960's to three years after his death, agronomist-cum-journalist Jean Dominique was campaigning against the oppressive government dominating his beloved Haiti. He started the subversive Radio Haiti, the first to broadcast in the Creole language as a way to connect to the commoners (as opposed to the French language used by the upperclass). With it, Dominique railed against the tyranny of both Papa and Baby Doc Duvalier, which led to his banishment—the first of two.
With access to decades of Dominique's work and footage of Haiti, Demme compiled a very fascinating account of the country over the years from the agronomist's point of view. There are a lot of sit-down interview footage with the charismatic Dominique conducted in New York during his second exile in the early 90's (which explains the video tape quality of the footage), when Jonathan Demme befriended this magnetic charmer that has as much eloquence during a tete-a-tete as he is addressing a nation on the air.
Watching this documentary, it is at times overwhelming how influential the man really was. Dominique started Haiti's first cinema club, more or less jumpstarting Haiti's film industry, which was important in bringing culture and social discourse in a country that is 70% illiterate. It's no surprise that the government shut them down.
In 2000, Jean Dominique was gunned down at the age of 69 at his place of work. The Agronomist is a visual eulogy that feels like a continuation of Jean Dominique's work. While Demme can be somewhat vague on the politics and history of Haiti, through either a lack of information or interest, his depiction of the social climate (guided by Dominique's poetic picture of his people) is nothing short of sweeping.
Released on DVD in 2005 by New Line, you can buy it here or watch it now on Netflix Instant Watch. After you do, if you feel inspired by Jean Dominique's refusal to give up on lifting Haiti off its rut, do what you can by donating to any of these recommended charities:
Reddit
Yele
Stiller Strong
Doctors without Borders
Or, help Google improve their disaster map and/or upload videos here.
Watch Out! is a feature on JustPressPlay where Arya Ponto showcases lesser-known, lesser-appreciated and often bizarre small films that are cool and deserve to get some attention. Venture here to see all previous entries.
