Back in the 1980's, when he made his documentary on Haiti, Jonathan Demme met journalist and political dissident
Jean Dominique. Dominique was, as the title suggests, trained in agriculture, but became a film buff and started a cinema club in Haiti in the 1960's. When that was banned by Duvalier (for showing "Night and Fog"), Dominique started Radio Haiti, an independent radio station that was extremely critical of Duvalier's dictatorship.
The film follows Dominique's career through exile in the US, a return to Haiti and further exile. It does not end well. It's a very straightforward documentary focusing on a lot of interviews with Dominique. He's an extraordinary man and Demme clearly feels that the material speaks for itself. It mostly does. It's a frequently compelling if very dry film.
The film follows Dominique's career through exile in the US, a return to Haiti and further exile. It does not end well. It's a very straightforward documentary focusing on a lot of interviews with Dominique. He's an extraordinary man and Demme clearly feels that the material speaks for itself. It mostly does. It's a frequently compelling if very dry film.