Ever seen that movie Nora’s Salon II? Actress Claudine Oriol has a role in that film. She’s also appeared in such films as Pluie d’Espoir, The Death and Life of Bobby Z, As Good as Dead, and Blonde Ambition . Now, instead of playing scenes for directors, she’s sitting in the director’s chair, helming Resilient Hearts, a documentary about the 2010 Haiti earthquake. One of the few documented accounts told from a female point-of-view, the doc was an official selection at the 2014 DC Caribbean Festival. It was also screened at the United Nations.
Kreyolicious: Would you mind telling the readers about yourself.
I’m Haitian-American. I grew-up in New York. At first, we lived in Brooklyn, on Ocean Parkway, which was at the time a Hasidic Jewish, Italian, Irish, Russian neighborhood. That mosaic of various ethnicities played a large part in my early life. Afterwards, my parents moved to Long Island. While attending college, I moved to the City—Manhattan. I am an actor and I guess you can now add filmmaker as well.
Kreyolicious: Sometimes a creative mind will ponder on something for months, and years, before it’s brought to fruition. How long did it take you to conceptualize this documentary?
I have always wanted to share the Haiti I know with others. I left Port-au-Prince one hour before the earthquake. During the aftermath of the earthquake I realized that the rest of the world knew very little about Haiti and it’s people. I felt that the Haitian voices were silent and that we were being defined by outsiders who knew little about our history and culture. Three short weeks after the earthquak,e I returned to Haiti to make the documentary. While making the documentary I witnessed the unity that existed among Haitians at that time and realized that this film can also serve as reminder to us all about the accomplishments we can realize when we come together. I also wanted to make a film about Haiti from a Haitian perspective and give a voice to the voiceless. Thus the conceptualization didn’t take long, the realization however took longer I’ve been working on this project for the past five years.
Kreyolicious: Was this the first project you’ve written and directed?
This is the first project that I’ve written and directed.
Above: Claudine Oriol surveys the damage done by the 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince.
Kreyolicious: Now that the experience is over, what would you have done differently?
It’s difficult to answer that question because I was a novice and didn’t know much about directing and producing a film. Thus for me it has bee a learning process from which I gained a lot of experience. An unconventional schooling if you will which will definitely enrich my next project. I guess I wouldn’t change anything! But I’ve definitely learned how to make the process easier.
Kreyolicious: If you were mentoring a first-time female director, what would you tell her?
Directing a documentary and a film are two different things. With a documentary, you have to be patient and let the story unfold and guide you. You also have to be pliable; you can’t be rigid about the outcome while maintaining a clear a precise idea about the story you wish to tell. Directing a movie can be more forgiving because you get to play and color within the lines. The story is already there. You have to gain the trust of the actors so that they become fearless with their performances. In both cases, the director should get the best cast, crew and post-production professionals the budget allows.
Above: Claudine Oriol (center) poses with some supporters after a screening of Resilient Hearts.
Kreyolicious: What’s the cinema scene looking like right now in Haiti?
Progress has been made. I still believe there is a lot of work to be done. It’s an industry with great potential and opportunities for those who are willing to do it properly.
Kreyolicious: What’s next for you?
Now that the documentary is complete, I have to ensure that it is seen. We are scheduling premieres in Montreal, New York, Miami and Chicago. These premieres will be fundraisers to support free screenings of the documentary throughout Haiti. The documentary will be available for streaming online on July first. A special edition DVD will be available on January 12, 2016. I love storytelling, so I’m also working on directing my first fiction feature. Social responsibility and education are important to me. I would like to merge them both together to create awareness amongst Haitians about our duties and obligations towards this beautiful land called Ayiti.
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