Raoul Peck Returns to Haiti--As a Filmmaker

He's been back as Diaspora and even as a Minister. He's helped create a cultural
foundation in Port-au-Prince. This time,
on July 13, he's returned as the filmmaker that he is, invited by the home-grown but by no means backwoods Film Festival Jakmel 2005.

Raoul Peck arrived by puddle jumper commuter flight from Port-au-Prince
via Paris and Guadeloupe and went straight to the Acropolys screening venue, a former theatre long dormant. The overflow crowd was watching
his recent HBO film "Sometimes in April." Dozens of disappointed were turned awayat the door, there just wasn't enough seating. Following the 140
minute film, Peck fielded questions from the enthusiastic viewers for more than one hour.

The opening question asked pointedly, "Was it your experience with Haiti that motivated you to do the Rwanda film?" He answered, "Haiti is with me in all the films I do."HBO had approached Peck to make the film.

Details on the Rwanda genocide and the factors that lead to such horrors, how the film project came about, story development and other practical film questions were posed to the filmmaker in the post-screening. HBO provided him the budget and didn't interfere with the process. Scenes were subject to review and discussion. Sometimes revision followed in an interactive process.

Many of Peck's earlier films are Haitian themed including three documentaries. His last two films are historically-based feature films. Lumumba is about the overthrow of Patrice Lumumba in the Belgium Congo and enjoyed international popularity. It added to the world awareness of the complicity of Belgium which subsequently apologized to the Congo.

An additional screening of "Sometimes in April" has been added to the Film Festival schedule due to the overwhelming response.Peck will also lead an atelier workshop on Friday, "Le Cinema d'Auteur". His presence provides great support to this year's Festival which is being held while the country is in the direst straits.

Link: "Sometimes in April, Retelling the tragedy of the 100 days in Rwanda when 800,000 were massacred

Haitian American actor Jimmy Jean-Louis.

Haitian American actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, who has been in recent films Monster In-Law and The Game of Their Lives, is one of the leads in Richard Senecal's Cousines.

The film was shot in 3 weeks in November, mostly in Petionville. This is his first film that he's shot in Haiti. The director came out to L.A.to pitch him the project . For him it was more of a collaboration--as he was the only "professional" actor in the film he coached other actors and helped pay attention to every cinematic detail. "It was really a hard experience working with non-professionals but it was the greatest pleasure to film here and do something I absolutely love in my own country. I also met another filmmaker, Arnold Antonin and returned in April to work on his film. I had a lot of stuff happening for me in LA but I was committed to coming to the Film Festival. I just had to come.

Jimmy Jean-Louis was at the opening night screening and press
conference, the day following.

Related links: Le Festival Film Jakmel (French)

2005 Jackmel Film Fetival ( English)

In rictures Jackmel Film Fetival