Film: The Agronomist
12th Annual Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival "New Faces of Documentary"
Screening: THE AGRONOMIST (dir. Jonathan Demme, USA/Haiti, 2004, 91 min., in English, French & Creole with English subtitles)
Demme's haunting portrait of his friend, charismatic human-rights activist Jean Dominique, reconstructs the journalist's life and its parallels with the modern history of Haiti. Trained as an agronomist, the fiery Dominique bought Radio Haiti Inter and became a bold populist champion, broadcasting in Creole and exposing political corruption until his assassination in 2000. With Wyclef Jean's infectious score, Demme uses newsreels, home video and interviews to produce a stirring tribute to a national icon.