• Director(s):

    Molia (Agnès)

  • Producer(s):

    TOURNEZ S'IL VOUS PLAÎT PRODUCTION, ARTE FRANCE

  • Territories:

    Worldwide.

  • Production year:

    2019

  • Language(s):

    German, English, French

  • Rights:

    TV, DVD, NON-THEATRICAL, INTERNET, VOD

Every year in Jacmel, on the south coast of Haiti, one of the most spectacular carnivals in the Caribbean takes place. In one of the world’s poorest countries, that has endured slavery, bloody dictatorships, natural disasters and epidemics, festivities take on an intensity that is not found elsewhere.

As if adopting a dual personality, Haitians embody the ghosts of their past. One sees men whose body and face are smeared in molasses and soot, disguised as “bossales”, the slaves taken from Africa and transported to Haiti to work the land.
Effigies of Baby Doc and other dictators dance on floats with Papa Aids and the zombies of the earthquakes.
Unlike the Venice carnival, the Haitians do not depict dream-like characters in their parades, but instead monsters or specters. This is a way for them to deal with the difficulties of the past, and also those of the present. This is a moment of collective resilience and festivity which helps a whole people confront daily life.