THE HAITIAN EXPERIENCE ON THE SCREEN -Screening Storming Papa Doc

Ayiti Images is back with its 3rd edition of independent films with its focus on HAITI! Our next screening and Q&A session is a documentary film entitled Storming Papa Doc.  Mark your Calendars - February 3rd-7th 

Who is Mario L. Delatour?

The film business has been a big part of Mario Delatour's life. Born in Caracas Venezuela to Haitian parents on September 26th 1955, Delatour's career has taken him to nearly 30 countries. 

When he's not freelancing with major media companies covering stories in Haiti or working with NGO's on publicity kits, Mario is writing stories about his heritage. One of his most acclaimed documentaries is Un Certain Bord de Mer, (An Unwelcome Lot) a work that chronicled Arab emigration to Haiti in the latter part of the 19th century. 


In the aftermath of  Haiti's devastating earthquake on January12th 2010, Delatour wrote and directed 35 long seconds: Haiti's Deadly Earthquake, a 20-minute film which laid bare the catastrophic destruction of the nation's capital Port-au-Prince. The Smithsonian in Washington D.C ran the film as part of an exhibit on Haiti's dreadful earthquake. 

Meet Mario in February after each screening of STORMING PAPA DOC.  

Storming Papa Doc (English Trailer). A Film By Mario L. Delatour

Synopsis - 
Storming Papa Doc, the English title of this historical reenactment set on on July 28th, 1958, tells the story of ex-army officers from Haiti who are exiled out of the country to Florida, USA only to return with a vengeance to overthrow Haitian President, Dr. Francois Duvalier. Created in animation and intercut with interviews of friends and family members of the brigade, the film explores the interesting lives of each member. Portraying a time capsule of Haiti in the 1940's and Florida as a temporary incubator, this artistic film seeks to chronicle what could have been one of the most successful military operations in Haitian history, the removal of the most notorious dictator's of the 20th century. 

Haitian Art Society Annual Conference Paris, France

SAVE THE DATE!!!

 

Haitian Art Society Annual Conference

Paris, France

January 31 – February 7, 2015

 

This year’s conference is being planned to take advantage of the opportunity to see “200 Years of Haitian Art”, a major exhibition presented at the Grand Palais. Other highlights will include the Musee d’Vodou as well as various other museums and private collections. And of course the sights of Paris!

 

Please contact kent.shankle@waterloo-ia.org if you are interested in participating. A tentative itinerary follows. Additional details will be forthcoming to those who express interest in the trip.

 

Proposed itinerary of Paris HAS conference: 

1) Jan 31, Sat- HAS group dinner and orientation meeting in Marais district of Paris.

2) Feb 1, Sun- Early am visit to Parisian flea markets.  Afternoon Grand Palais-Haitian

                  exhibition & Niki de St. Phalle-famous contemporary French naif artist. Evening

                  Musee d' Orsay former railway museum with outstanding collections

3) Feb 2, Mon- Early fast train to Strasbourg and see Musee d' Vodou, orchid nursery & maybe

                  Grand Marnier estate.  Return to Paris late afternoon

4) Feb 3, Tues- Early fast train to Laval and view museums collection of international collection of folk art

                  Birthplace of Henri Rousseau. Lunch in town. Return to Paris mid-late pm.

5) Feb 4, Wed- Tour of Musee d' Art Naif collection at Halle St. Pierre in Paris, Opera

                  House & Pompideau Centre

6) Feb 5, Thurs- Tour galleries and bookstores / maybe tour private collections in Paris/

                  Musical instruments museum

7) Feb 6, Fri- Tour Eiffel tower and lunch. Afternoon Quai Branly ethnographic museum

8) Feb 7, Sat- Early am visit Parisian flea markets/lunch/ tour the Louvre. Option of visit to Picasso Museum. HAS group 

                  farewell dinner in Latin Quarter  

9) Feb 8- Return home

Find out more here:

https://sites.google.com/site/haitianartsociety/conferences/current

Better management of water in the Artibonite

The watershed of Artibonite is the largest water basin in Haiti and the Artibonite River is the primary source of hydroelectric power and water for irrigation. Upstream of the dam Péligre, agriculture, livestock and coal production are the main sources of income for about 15,000 rural households. Over 70,000 rural families dependent on 30,000 ha of irrigated area for grow rice that produces 80% of national production. Despite its importance, deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices have led to severe erosion, estimated each year on average to 1,305 metric ton per km2 in the watershed.

To this, are added the need for irrigation and flood control in the lower basin insufficiently taken into account in the decisions of the management of water. What explains the implementation of the water management program in the watershed of the Artibonite (PROGEBA), funded by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) following the grant agreement dated 5 February and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR).

The PROGEBA aims to reduce the loss of crops, livestock and infrastructure from flooding and increase agricultural productivity in the Artibonite basin.

This water management program includes two major components : the water management infrastructure and of sediment and the institutional strengthening of the actors.

To this end, the Ministry signed a first batch of three contracts with the firms TECINA, SOCAEE and BETA, elected on the basis of tender responding to procurement standards in Haiti and the principles governed by the donor.

The firm TECINA will have to work on the protection of shoreline on 220 meters linear downstream of the dam Canneau with the aim of securing this work responsible for the irrigation of 32,000 ha.

As for the SOCAEE firm it will work on the rehabilitation of a lot of the hydraulic trame of the pilot area irrigated by Lower Benoit, Bidonne and Laville (3,300ha).

Regarding the firm BETA, it will oversee the bank protection works and supervision of the lot of the hydraulic trame currently in tendering procedure.

The total amount of these three contracts is estimated at just over 208 million gourdes.

The rest of the acquisition process for works, goods and services will continue in accordance with the planning of the procurement plan.

According to officials, at the end of the Program, the whole work will allow :


  • L’amélioration de la rétention de l’eau et des sédiments dans les ravines sélectionnées de la partie supérieure du bassin versant de l’Artibonite ;
  • The improvement of distribution of water in irrigated area of Artibonite ;
  • The reduction of waterlogging in the irrigated area of Artibonite;
  • A better management of floods in the dam Péligre ;
  • The improvement of internal management of the Organization of Development of the Artibonite Valley (ODVA) ;
  • The Improvement of the operation and maintenance of infrastructure and hydraulic equipment in the irrigated area of Artibonite.

(Source) http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12813-haiti-agriculture-towards-a-better-management-of-water-in-the-artibonite-basin.html

The Minister of Agriculture, Thomas Jacques, salute the courage of farmers

The agronomist engineer, Thomas Jacques, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARDNR) thanks from the heart the Ministry staff and all the players involved in the sector, which enabled him to achieve the results obtained for the year 2014, such that in summary :


  • The reform of the MARNDR, retirement of certain executives who have given their time and courage during decades for agricultural development of the country ;
  • The continuation of the development of more than twenty watersheds, the establishment of a strategy of entrepreneurial Agriculture for young professionals ;
  • The extension of a soil survey program on the whole national territory ;
  • The establishment of an agricultural product traceability system and the pursuit of animal identification ;
  • The systematic accompaniment of farmers living in the most remote corners of the country and the involvement of entities responsible for the MARNDR in the pursuit of the Agrarian Policy ;
  • The construction of new irrigation systems and maintenance of legacy systems ;
  • The reform of the agricultural products import taxation system ;
  • The revitalization of rural animation system for the benefit of farmers' organizations.


"All these elements have allowed agriculture to continue to be one of the growth engines of the national economy," stressed the Minister Jacques.

Moreover, he salutes the courage of the women and men farmers that he considers "like the sector development engines", he also welcomes the efforts made by the new entrepreneurs who have placed their trust in the Ministry.

"The Minister of Agriculture, takes advantage of the year-end festivities to wish them a 2015 filled with happiness, hope, determination and belief and ensures them of the continuity of the progress already initiated.

May the Year 2015 be a year of true peace and it marks the beginning of a new Haiti."

(Source) http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12856-haiti-agriculture-the-minister-thomas-jacques-salute-the-courage-of-farmers.html