Years of economic and political chaos in Haiti have led to environmental devastation, crushing poverty and a mass exodus of Haitians trying to reach the mecca of the United States. The tragedy is that the islanders who realize this dream are precisely those with the drive, initiative and energy needed to rebuild their homeland's shattered economy.
Raoul Peck's evocative documentary takes the form of a journey through Haiti - a journey with different travelers, along different routes, to different destinations in the Caribbean's poorest country.
Guiding the viewer along the way is the narrator, a fictional, wise old peasant, who draws on his ancestral knowledge of life and death, to provide a running commentary on the plight of the real life Haitians he encounters on his travels.
Other films in the series are:
The Legacy of Malthus - Argues that overpopulation is not the real cause of poverty.
The Tale of The Three Lost Jewels - A tale of love and hope in the Gaza Strip.
The Tree of Our Forefathers - A refugee family makes the long journey home from exile to Mozambique.
Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 1994
Copyright Date: 1994
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-622-5
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-586-4
Reviews
"Manages to reveal more of the truth of life there than would a thousand gamely plodding documentary overviews. Here are real peoples' real lives, expressed in conversation and self-reflection and metaphor and shown in beautifully filmed glimpses." David Flusfeder, The Times
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