FILMS/
GHOSTS OF CITé SOLEIL
Documentaries
Denmark/USA, 2006, 88 minutes
SHOWTIMES
Thu, May 3 / 07:00 / PFA / GHOC03P
Sat, May 5 / 07:15 / Kabuki / GHOC05K
Mon, May 7 / 03:45 / Kabuki / GHOC07K
CREDITS
- dir
-
Asger Leth
- prod
-
Seth Kanegis, Tomas Radoor, Mikael Chr. Rieks
- scr
-
Asger Leth
- cam
-
Milos Loncarevic
- editor
-
Adam Nielsen
- mus
-
Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis
- cast
-
Winson Jean , James Petit Frère, Éleonore Senlis , Wyclef Jean
- source
-
THINKFilm, 23 East 22nd Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10010 FAX: 212-444-7901 EMAIL: eowens@thinkfilmcompany.com
In 2004, 200 years after Haiti became the first independent black republic and 13 years after Jean-Bertrand Aristide became the country’s first democratically elected president, Haiti once again found itself in turmoil. Government protesters stormed the streets of the impoverished capital Port-au-Prince, and Aristide enlisted armed gangs, called chimères, from the ruthless slum of Cité Soleil to intimidate them. This impoverished neighborhood, which the United Nations has called the most dangerous place on Earth, is where director Asger Leth films this riveting and raw documentary. He follows the daily grind of two gang leaders, the magnetic twentysomething brothers 2Pac and Bily. Guns, violence and the constant threat of murder fill their days, as does a French relief worker, named Lele, who seems more interested in flirting with the brothers than she is in improving their situation. As national and local crises escalate, it becomes unclear exactly who and what the gangs are fighting. Aristide, the police, international peacekeepers, rival gangs, fraternal issues and the brothers’ shared affection for Lele lead them into a complex and constant war. Every day—every hour, even—they risk death, but a fundamental question remains: for what? The brothers’ only outlet is their music, and they are impassioned rappers who give new meaning to the term "gangsta rap." 2Pac even manages to play his music over the phone for Wyclef Jean, the hugely successful Haitian-born musician. Wyclef serves as an executive producer on the film, and provides a thumping original soundtrack. This harrowing documentary is a terrifying snapshot of a truly terrible place.
—Benjamin Friedland
In Creole and French with English subtitles. This film is competing for a Golden Gate Award. Sponsored by SFStation.com. Presented in association with Global Exchange.