Politics

On Filming in Haiti


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One obstacle that prevents foreigners from understanding what’s going on in Haiti is how difficult it is to visualize everyday Haitian life. Joining us today is Jon Bougher, a documentary filmmaker in Port-au-Prince and instructor at Haiti Reporters film school, where he helps train Haitian students in the art of visual storytelling. We’ve witnessed and admired Jon’s ability to connect with his subjects despite the various challenges of filming in Haiti. On this week’s episode, we hear about how he does it.

Haitian Politics at the Gym


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In our first episode, we introduce readers to Club Abner, a gym in our neighborhood where we go a few times a week to pump iron—and lift whatever other heavy scrap metal the owner can find to serve as weights. The guys at the gym love to talk politics, and the topic du jour is whether Haiti’s president, Michel Martelly, holds American citizenship—which would disqualify him from serving as president. The conversations highlight how important patriotism and sovereignty are to our fellow gym-goers and offer insight about why the debate over Martelly’s nationality continues to captivate Haitians and their elected leaders.