First of all, I thank Mr. Demme for making a film about this extraordinary man. Jean Dominique, needless to say, is someone to admire and learn from. He reminds me of José F. Peña Gómez, a Dominican of Haitian descent, who also took to the airwaves (circa 1965) and became an exemplary patriot.
In response to a comment about why the Dominican Republic has relatively stood idle throughout Haiti's ongoing strife, it should be noted that DR sadly has its own ills to tend as well. The island of Hispaniola it's one with two different nations, cultures and languages, a notorious legacy of the tug-of-war between former colonial powers. But like Haiti, it is another victim of many of the same demons that to various degrees afflict much of Latin America.
I must admit with much shame that even as a Dominican, only during my residence here in the far-flung region of New York rather than back home in Santo Domingo have I befriended fellow Haitians and came to know more about their culture. Learning about a Haitian luminary such as Mr. Dominique has thus been a treasure.
It saddens me deeply how most media outlets to date do scant coverage about what's happening in Haiti and elsewhere with little mention, if any at all, about the feats of Jean Dominique and how his assassins have yet been brought to justice. These and many more reasons make The Agronomist a must-see documentary. In this ever more jaded, cynical world, it's inspiring and much of a solace to find people like Jean Dominique amidst the disheartening and overbearing blanket of corruption and complacency.
In response to a comment about why the Dominican Republic has relatively stood idle throughout Haiti's ongoing strife, it should be noted that DR sadly has its own ills to tend as well. The island of Hispaniola it's one with two different nations, cultures and languages, a notorious legacy of the tug-of-war between former colonial powers. But like Haiti, it is another victim of many of the same demons that to various degrees afflict much of Latin America.
I must admit with much shame that even as a Dominican, only during my residence here in the far-flung region of New York rather than back home in Santo Domingo have I befriended fellow Haitians and came to know more about their culture. Learning about a Haitian luminary such as Mr. Dominique has thus been a treasure.
It saddens me deeply how most media outlets to date do scant coverage about what's happening in Haiti and elsewhere with little mention, if any at all, about the feats of Jean Dominique and how his assassins have yet been brought to justice. These and many more reasons make The Agronomist a must-see documentary. In this ever more jaded, cynical world, it's inspiring and much of a solace to find people like Jean Dominique amidst the disheartening and overbearing blanket of corruption and complacency.