Jake and James and Oneal and I are being housed at the Haitian Christian Development Project’s headquarters in Gonaives. The building is a two story concrete structure which has been in the works for some time and was finally completed with the influx of funds after the earthquake. I have yet to be up to the second floor, so I’ll leave that up to your imagination. The first floor consists of one large conference room, a bedroom, maybe half the size of the conference room, a dining room and a bathroom. Consistent hot water with good pressure await us every night after filming and ease us into day ever morning. We are fed with a hearty Haitian dinner of rice and sauce every night and eat something very similar (we’re not sure it isn’t the same) on site every afternoon.
It’s hard to realize I am in the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
Getting on site has been a struggle so far this week, but it has been better than last year because we are staying the same compound with Pacius so don’t need to wait for him to pick us up, we have been able to get on site around 830 or 9. The site is a small neighborhood called Poteau about 10 minutes from the HCDP headquarters. This community is open to us because Pacius is the preacher at the congregation near the families.
Writing about the actual shooting seems tedious to me, but I will do it so you may know what it is I am doing. A typical scene is divided into several different takes of one or two at the very most 3 completely untrained actors reciting lines. Pacius has freshly translated the English manuscript and fed the lines to our actors and Oneal interrupts this entire process by changing things, or wanting more action, or for the actors to “fe naturel”. Haitian weather is also set out to disrupt us with wind, untimely sun and shadow and roaming animals.
Children clamor for attention, older girls sometimes women fawn over Jake’s and my long hair. You are pretty they say, can I have your hair? I hit it off with two of the women actors while they weren’t on camera and they told me their real names, not just their stage names. Marie (stage name) is Serameme and Natalie, well she actually Natalie. Serameme has 5 children, Natalie 3. Natalie’s youngest fell and broke her neck. She is completely paralyzed. I think she will have a short life.
During lunch today Oneal brought up the presidential election. All the male actors unanimously supported the lady candidate. Why? Because she’s a woman. The countries greatest fear with her is that she is too closely tied to the South American dictator Chavez. The other candidate, the musician from America wants to hand over governorship to the Dominican Republic. Which is the lesser of these two evils? Pacius said that as a Haitian he wanted him to come back, but not now. Aristide had had good ideas but lost it when he came into power. “He will come back in a couple weeks.” That is big news and I am happy to hear a Haitian speak fondly of Aristide.
During the same conversation, Pacius mentioned the current president’s fiscal policy of spending millions of dollars of vodoun temples. The three largest are in Gonaives, all thanks to Rene Preval. We may get a chance to go see one of these Hounfours. Also, there is a Houngan (a traditional healer, or Vodoun priest) who lives just next door to the church building. Pacius also informed us of the Boka, or “witch doctor” who was converted and is now a member of the church. Jake and I hope to interview this reformed Boka on Sunday. Word from Pacius, btw, Zombies are real…
It seems like my Kreyol is getting better. I don’t know how much new stuff I am learning but I am surely understanding more. I am building upon last years knowledge gained. I’ve been able to do some more direct interaction with actors and actually stood in Pacius on occasion.
It should be weird to be here. I expect surrealism and find nothing but reality. Pure dusty sunny Haitian reality. Sitting in the shade of a banana tree should feel strange for me. Communicating in a language I have never studied should not be so ok with me. The food situation still feels uncomfortable to me, blans and adult men served first, women and children second and third and then only left overs. We all follow the leader though and eat only half of our plate and give the rest to an adult to hand to the children.
Children tell me they are hungry and ask me for food. They laugh when I tell them I am hungry too and that I have no food. They laugh and point at my belly. I am glad they never saw my 280 pound belly. I may try and explain that poverty looks different in the US. Not to the kids, they are enjoying the attention. Maybe to an adult.
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