The Forgotten Occupation: Jim Crow Goes to Haiti

The documentary opens with filmmaker Alain Martin reading a letter to his deceased grandfather. In that letter’s opening, the filmmaker recalls a morose conversation between his grandfather and another familiar member in which they bemoan the chronic troubles of their country, Haiti. They find themselves desperately hoping for an American intervention, seeing it as the only solution for their ravaged nation. Alain reminds his grandfather that the United States had already occupied Haiti and only left it more impoverished. As the letter continues, the brutal decades of the Occupation come to light, betraying the complicated history of a people who, a century ago, looked to the United States for guidance only to find themselves enmeshed in violent clashes of race, culture and class, resulting in the wholesale theft of their homeland.

Abregged version of the documentary (approx 60 minutes)

Followed by panel discussion

With Director and Producer Alain Martin and Co-Producer Hans Augustave.

Moderated by journalist Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Cultural Center, Lycée Français de New York, 505 East 75th Street, New York, United States