The program will be simultaneously interpreted into ASL, English, Spanish, and Kreyol. Escuche en español: 786-665-8802. To listen in English & Tande an Kreyòl: 305-901-2692. The program ends on the outdoor terrace with sounds by DJ Graematter along with Haitian drumming and traditional dance.

Men Nan Men
Three Haitian filmmakers were commissioned in 2021, amidst both political and environmental turmoil, to create short documentaries on the theme of what solidarity represented for them. Using photographs, short videos, quotes, and Instagram, the Men Nan Men (which in Kreyòl means 'hand in hand') team showed everyday life in Haiti despite the serious conditions.

What was documented in the series of three varied films are Haitians working together to help push their communities forward. The Vocation by Estaïlove St-Val features one community leader incubating artists in Port-au-Prince; Eskwad, by Keziah Jean, tells the story of a farming collective in Les Cayes supporting local agriculture; and the title documentary of the series Men Nan Men by Wilson Edmond shows a young filmmaker working to empower women prisoners in Jacmel. Additional film programming will also include Madame Pipi by Rachelle Salnave, a documentary about Haitian bathroom attendants working in Miami nightclubs to support their families back in Haiti continuing the theme of solidarity among the Haitian Diaspora.

About the Project
FePouLi.org in partnership with Artist Institute Haiti has commissioned three local filmmakers in Haiti to document positive images of Haitians working hand in hand together. In response to the Earthquake that hit the country on August 14, 2021, the selected filmmakers created a completed 3 to 15 minute documentary capturing what Haitian solidarity looked like for them. The project ran from October 15, 2022 through January 7, 2022. Simultaneously, the artists used Instagram to post photographs, short videos, and quotes in an artistic way to show updates of the country. Each film is different in nature but follows the common thread of people working hand in hand.

About the Films
The Vocation by Estaïlove St-Val
Running Time: 8:14

Bertho, a 34-year-old young man runs an arts and culture organization in Petion-Ville, Haiti in the hopes of creating change in his neighborhood and keeping the youth out of the streets.

St-Val is a passionate filmmaker and photographer based in Haiti. His love for photography began when he was a young boy and quickly developed into a profession working as a photojournalist for local and international news agencies reporting on Haiti such as AFP, EFE, REUTERS, and Loop Haiti. As a graduate of the one and only film school in the country, Ciné Institute now called Artists Institute, St-Val focused his lens on documentary work. He was commissioned in 2021 by FePouli.Org and Artists institute to be part of a series of short documentaries to showcase Haitian solidarity. Out of this project, St-Val birthed his first film that he independently produced, directed and edited called The Vocation.

Eskwad by Keziah Jean
Running time: 12:06

Weeks after the Earthquake, Eskwad captures a small grassroots organization in Haiti at the center of authentic community development. Eskwad captures Haitians using unity as their key ingredient in cultivating sustainability in agro-industry.

On August 14, 2021, a major earthquake devastated the southern department of Haiti. More than 2,000 people and livestock perished. High up in the Mountains in a community called Camp Perrin, farmers were already facing an alarming climatic shift with issues of deforestation causing landslides and decaying soil. International NGO's have also exacerbated the disaster by using these desperate conditions to turn Farmers from self-sufficient to being dependent on aid. Eskwad turns the lens on one local organization, MP3k who have been on the forefront of the Peasant Movement helping to turn the page of agriculture in Haiti. Weeks after the Earthquake, this film captures a small grassroots organization at the center of authentic community development. Part of a series of short documentary films that capture Haitian solidarity at its core, Eskwad captures Haitians using unity as their key ingredient in cultivating sustainability in agro-industry.

Men Nan Men by Wilson Edmond
Running Time: 15:00

Inspired by the hit TV show “Orange is the New Black,” a young woman from Haiti galvanizes her friends to teach female prisoners in a local jailhouse arts and crafts activities with the intentions of bringing them hope. Estella, a former film graduate at Artists Institute, works mainly these days as a schoolteacher since there is very little opportunities in Haiti for filmmakers. Encouraged to learn more about female prison life through this American TV show, she discovered how badly these women need support. Through the solidarity of her community, Men Nan Men is a documentary that follows Estella's experiences working with women in the prison system and gives voice to this forgotten population.