N.C. premiere of Haiti-related documentary "The Other Side of the Water" Feb. 20
"The Other Side of the Water" will be shown at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Durham's historic Hayti Heritage Center (804 Fayetteville St.). Admission is $8.
The film follows a group of young Haitian Americans who bring sacred rara music (associated with vodou rites and processions) to life in Brooklyn. There, it becomes part of protests against police brutality, military coups, and U.S. racism. The film demonstrates how culture can foster community building, even if Haitians in America don't agree about whether this art form should be practiced or adapted.
There will also be a 11 a.m. special screening of "The Agronomist," a profile of Haitian radio journalist, human rights activist and dissident Jean Dominique. The documentary includes coverage of Haiti's vivid and tumultuous past; interviews with Dominique and his wife Michele Montas, as well as footage from before Dominique's assassination in 2000.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Hayti Film Festival website.