The conversation with filmmakers Rachèle Magloire and Chantal Regnault continues in the last installment of our three-part article on the highly-acclaimed documentary Deported.
What did you note about the deportees?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: Each deportee had a history, and it was usually a history of difficult times. They did not come from the same paths, even if we found commonalities between them. But they all had an experience that marked their passage in a North American prison. This passage and the “return” in a rather hostile society is a life lesson for them. Now it is up to each of them—according to his “background”, his education and family support—to turn this lesson in a positive way. But the film also has scenes shot in North America, which allowed us to provoke further reflection on the integration of immigrants in North America and address the issue of the emergence of crime in that region.
CHANTAL REGNAULT: Same answer as Rachèle.
How long did it take for you to gather material for the documentary and to wrap it up?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: We started the research in 2006 and completed the installation in 2012, so six years!
CHANTAL REGNAULT: I want to clarify that we did not produce it in six consecutive years. Various internal and external factors sometimes slowed filming considerably, and the earthquake of January 12, 2010 occurred when we started mounting the long version of the documentary film. We found the money for the post-production work at the end of 2011.
Do you prefer fiction filmmaking documentary filmmaking over?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: I’ve never made fiction films, except for a few experiments with short films and some commercials. I love the documentary format because it allows you to follow certain ideas, but fiction is also attractive to me. But this form of cinema doesn’t have the same elements. And in the absence of a film industry, it is much more difficult to create the conditions to complete a very successful fiction feature. But time will tell the rest.
CHANTAL REGNAULT: This is my first documentary film. I’ve never done fiction.
What advice do you have for those Who wish to do documentaries?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: To always stay open and listen to a lot of research to understand the subject you’re talking about so you can come out with something intelligent.
CHANTAL REGNAULT: To have a good time on writing the project and to leave room to deviate, take the time to establish trust with the future protagonists of the film, and remain constantly open to elements that luck can bring.
Did you Have a particular goal in making this documentary?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: I didn’t have a particular purpose, except to deepen my knowledge on the subject, and as with other documentaries, open the horizons of the audience to a reality they don’t know too well. Generally, we are interested in marginalized societies and people who don’t really have a place to express themselves. In the case of prisoners, that was exactly the case, but what attracted me the most was that this allowed me to not only explore a Haitian reality on our island, but also to get an understanding of what was happening in the host society that had led to the deportation.
CHANTAL REGNAULT: As I said before, I was long aware of the plight of the deported in Haiti, realized that there was this injustice and the catastrophic human consequences engendered by the policy of systematic abuse and deportation, especially in the the United States. [The purpose] of making the documentary was to firstly shed light on the real situation of these people being cut off from their past life and to lead the viewer to not only question the rights of immigrants who were criminals, but also the very notion of identity. We live in a time when global migration has produced a wide hybrid population that straddles at least two countries, two cultures, two languages.
What do you think of the current Haitian filmmaking industry?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: One cannot speak of a cinema industry in Haiti today. Moreover, there is no movie theater, so no real market opportunities exist for the distribution of films. There are no funds specifically dedicated to cinema for film production, so those who make movies do so on a small scale and use a lot of imagination to finance their production and distribution. Fortunately, there are some institutions like FOKAL supporting such projects. But, you have to convince these institutions.
CHANTAL REGNAULT: What’s also missing is the training of future technicians and screenwriters.
What plans do you have for your filmmaking career?
RACHÈLE MAGLOIRE: I will continue my work. I am working on several projects, but for now they are in their infancy so I prefer not to talk about them. I’ve also worked on other film projects, including Raoul Peck’s Deadly Assistance. I was the Director of Photography, and implementation of the second team in Haiti.
CHANTAL REGNAULT: I don’t have the time for another documentary project. I plan on publishing a book of photos based on the experiences that I had in Haiti during the 25 years I devoted to it.
Be sure to visit the website of Fanal Productions HERE and take a look at the filmmakers’ FACEBOOK PAGE.
