The Greater Washington Urban League along with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities were one of the first outlets to feature the work of emerging artist Patsye Delatour. She was part of their prestigious Art Tempo exhibit.

The Corcoran College of Art and Design graduate was born and bred around art. Her style is best described as abstract. There’s a painting she calls “The Prince” that depicts a royal with a mohawk and tribal marks and a “primitive” necklace. Delatour’s style brings to mind hieroglyphics and ancient sketches, the sort that you might run across in a textbook about the study of ancient civilizations. There’s an almost Abyssinian-Greek-Medo/Persian aura to her art.

Born in Port-au-Prince, Delatour has since returned to her native city.

Kreyolicious: Do tell us: just who is Patsye Delatour?

It is such a deep question, and I have always been a thinker as I am an only child—not to be confused or misinterpreted with lonely. If I am to answer this question in the context of being an artist, I am one who channels different frequencies that then are placed onto different mediums to bring out positive messages to the viewer. These messages can be about spirituality, history, different life forms, guides, spirits, as well as introspection, mother nature, Earth, preserving nature and being one with everything and nothing.

I am a person who is always searching within as to better connect with others and life itself.

I believe in the light and have made a conscious decision to be used by the light to help manifest the creative pieces that I am asked to do. I take it as big responsibility for those whom are meant to connect, respond to the pieces that are created through me will resonate with them and acquire from them what they are meant to take in. When I see someone have an amazing connection with what is created through me, it reminds me of why it is I do what I do. It is a very gratifying feeling, for it is something that is greater then myself, and it just brings me full circle. It’s worth all the challenges, and troubles, when you can give to others.
 
Kreyolicious: Wooh. That’s some introduction. Thank you…You went to a fine arts school. What was the biggest thing you learned in terms of techniques?

One of the most valuable techniques that I learned at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington DC, came from one of my favorite instructors Annette Polan. I recall her saying: “Today I will teach you to see.” What she meant by that, was she was going to teach us how to truly understand what we are perceiving when we view an inanimate object or a live model-person. To truly create what you see, you have to be honest about what you do not see. Meaning, when you are drawing an eye for example there are certain creases that you see, because of the play between light and shadow. It is that play between those two things that permits you to perceive that line, or crease above the eye. To say that you see every detail of the eye when standing feet away from a model that is a lie, or a misconception, so simply draw or paint what you see, which is exactly that, the play between light and shadow.

In many ways, having been taught to see is truly a great metaphor for life. We can be fooled by perception, but we must simply acknowledge truth not found through assumption but through the taking away of layers and preconceived notions.  

Kreyolicious: What usually sparks the creation of a painting?

To better respond to this question it is important that I express that when I create, I am simply channeling an energy that permits me to express whatever it is that it needs to be shared on paper or on canvas.

Inspiration comes to me through a gut feeling, almost a nagging feeling that stems inside of me. I sometimes feel an energy or a spark from within, like a calling that I must respond to. It is a very strong feeling, and I know that in that very moment of stillness, I will be asked to travel outwardly. It will then be expressed through the line drawings that I have named Vibration Lines or through my paintings that have been created through me.

During this creation phase, I like to meditate, listen to music, burn incense to help transport me to a dimension and level of consciousness that goes beyond the material permitting me to be a clear vessel to be used by this positive energy.
Once I have acknowledged it is time to create, it moves very quickly and what I am meant to draw or paint is created at a very rapid pace.

Kreyolicious: To someone who is not a painter, it would seem that painting is easy. One only has to pick up a brush, look out a window and…boom. Is it as easy as it looks?

That is a tricky question for some it is that easy, but at the same time though one defines easy by their own experiences. I can only respond to this question based on my own experience. Before going to the Corcoran, what was easy for me was writing, writing poetry, short stories as I always had a very vivid imagination. I have always been able to easily express my thoughts, my imagination, my vision both verbally and in writing.

Communicating what I was observing in art school through drawing or painting at the very beginning was not easy. As I mentioned before, I thankfully was taught to see, through the honest breaking down of observation. Learning as well about how to apply paint, mix colors, how to understand the human form, break down the human form, respecting lines, playing with light and shadow, understanding the elements of design—amongst other techniques. These lessons permitted me to be able to truly draw, as it was not my natural tendency or nature.

One also has to remember that generally the simplest things are the hardest things. When one has perfected a particular technique, I would suppose the biggest compliment would be they make it look so easy.

“Green” by Pastsye Delatour.
 
Kreyolicious: You are based in Haiti. How are women painters viewed there?
Patsye Delatour: In my opinion, I would say women artists are well perceived. If one is talented, one is respected—male or female—matters not. I grew up seeing the artist Luce Turnier for example. Her work was always respected and I recall how popular and in demand she was in regards to her portraits let alone her depiction of coconut trees. I know personally several Haitian female artists both well-known and up-and-coming, and as I mentioned before, it’s their remarkable talents that speaks volumes.

At the same token, its always great to see women artists or art lovers pushing other women to excel and to succeed. You have Marie-Alice Theard’s book Presence Feminine Dans L’Art Haitien [Feminine Presence in Haitian Art] who has compiled different Haitian women painters, providing an opportunity for one to learn about these artists and see a bit of their work. You have great young talented minds, Beatrice Celestin also innovating and creating creative atmospheres not just for women, but for the arts. You have Valeire Noisette and her husband promoting up and coming artists through Kolektif509. So in some ways women are steering their visibility, they’re promoting themselves as well as supporting other women, Haitian art and creativity.

Kreyolicious: I’ve interviewed a few people for this site who are painters. A great many of them have mentioned that their parents backed them in their choice. Was that the case with your peeps?
Patsye Delatour: Thankfully so, my parents encouraged me to go to art school when they noticed this passion was dwelling inside of me. My parents instilled in me at a very young age, that following ones passion was one of life’s biggest gifts. There is a particular freedom in following ones passion because there is an underlining joy that is always very present, no matter the challenge.

Having grown up in a creative country, and my playground being my grandmother’s art gallery Rainbow Art Display, and my godmothers—part owner—of an artisan store Fanal. It’s of no surprise that this creative passion was always brewing inside of me. Also, I must mention that both my parents are very creative, and talented in their own rights. The apple did not fall far from the tree.

Kreyolicious: Do you think that when you’re a parent, you’ll have the same reasoning as them if your daughter or son makes the same artistic choice as you?
Patsye Delatour: Absolutely, yes. The reason I will say yes to my children or any child who were to approach me is because I know that by following their passion they will never tire of doing what they must to succeed. Because it’s a fire that can not be turned off, for it is eternal. What I would say to them is that it is a very challenging field, that there are strong ups and down. I would share with them that creativity is a reflection of life, for it is inspired from itself and from energies beyond our own comprehension. It forces one to delve within. You cannot hide from yourself. It is a very vulnerable place, for you are naked—as you are always expressing. However, it is truly worthwhile, for you get to taste life, live life through clear lenses always ready to learn and acquire more knowledge in a state of joy.

Kreyolicious: Have you been to an art event or exhibition that particularly stood out?

At a very early age, my mother would take me to different museums throughout Washington, DC where I would be surrounded by the masters. The same token she would take me to art shows in Haiti where I would be surrounded by Haitian art masters. I had the pleasure of knowing—til this day—many great Haitian artists—so it’s hard to pinpoint an exhibit.

I can say however that the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where Haiti was featured and that my father Patrick Delatour was one of the curators of truly touched my heart. Haiti, it’s culture, art, music, cuisine was given an opportunity to shine and to take center stage. Surrounded by the museums and in between the Capital building and the Washington Monument. Those three days are one of my fondest memories, and in some ways has played an amazing role in my life’s trajectory.  

Kreyolicious: Are you a dreamer? It seems to come hand in hand with creativity.
Patsye Delatour: I am very much so a dreamer, but at the same time I am also a person who is very grounded and realistic. This can be challenging for they are both very strong components of my personality, and at the same time I am grateful for having both attributes.

Kreyolicious: Out of all your creations, which is the most special to you?
Patsye Delatour: I have a fond connection with most of my pieces. I remember creating a piece called “Mystical Man”. This piece took me three days to create. The reason is because it was a very emotional one for me as its energy and presence was very strong. I remember crying every time I would like at it, when I would step away from the piece to observe it at a distance. It was a very moving and powerful experience, many people who observe that piece have a strong connection to it as well.

 
Kreyolicious: A girl who has just graduated from high school comes up to you. She hopes to become a painter…someday. She’s seen some of your paintings and asks to pick your brain about her future, the craft of painting, and the business of art. What do you say?

First off, what an honor. Second, I would be as honest as I can based on my own experience’s. I would make sure to let her know that what I would share would be just that, my personal experience and that she would have to create her own. With that said, I would tell her that if she is truly inspired to create that she has a responsibility to herself and to those who she will one day share her work with to do so. I would also tell her, to take business management courses, as I wish I had done so and that they were offered to me at the Corcoran. Truly it is important that an artist knows how to represent herself, her work and knows how to market her work.

I would also tell her, that she needs to not be afraid to understand her rights as an artist, and to stick to her work ethics and principles. Many times people label artists through their misconceptions as irresponsible, unprofessional, and sometimes use words like “crazy”.

I would also express to her as Philippe Dodard expressed to me years ago: “You are to carry yourself as a cultural ambassador of your country, Haiti”. I have always prided myself in having that natural tendency to be professional and to carry myself as such. Being an artist is a very big responsibility for we preserve history, experiences, and some of us even help to communicate prophecies.

Did you enjoy this interview with painter and visual artist Patsye Delatour ? CLICK HERE to read other articles in the STRAIGHT OUTTA HAITI series.

There are all sorts of stories about how some models get their start. Some are scouted while casually walking in a mall. Others launched their careers by visiting a local modeling agency. Nana Delatour has an interesting story to tell about how she broke into the modeling industry. She had just made one of the most reluctant decisions of her life—chopping her hair down—and was having second thoughts. But as she walked down the streets, and received compliment showers from random strangers, she realized that changing her look may not have been such a crazy idea—after all.

Nana was living in New York at the time and decided to return to her hometown in Haiti. While in Haiti, she was contacted by a well-known photographer. Would she like to set up a photo shoot? Of course, the answer was an enthusiastic “Yes!” From there, she built a portfolio and started posting her looks on social media sites. Her unique look got the attention of other models—not to mention stylists and photographers—and Nana Delatour—the model—came into being.

Kreyolicious: Models are constantly on display. Do you think that has affected your mentality?

Not at all. Modeling is very similar to acting. You’re basically pretending to be someone else in front of the camera. But when the job is done, you break out of that role and get back to regular life. It’s actually kind of refreshing because it’s a break from the real world. I learned to be more patient and tolerant as well as not judge people so easily. You don’t know what struggles a person is going through. We have no idea what demons they are fighting inside. So, what right to we have to judge their looks or behavior?

Photo Credit: PhotoTale Studio
Kreyolicious: What does being beautiful mean to you?

Being beautiful is someone who is confident, not about their looks but about their character. Flawless skin, shiny hair, and a great body doesn’t qualify you as beautiful if you are vain, selfish, rude—or have any other bad qualities you can think of. A beautiful person is willing to help others because it’s in their nature to do so—not because they will want something in return for it.

Kreyolicious: You get an assignment. Then what?

You head to the shoot well-rested—because it will most likely last all day. There’s a team there ready to glam you up and make you look fabulous. Make-up artist, hair stylist—I usually never need one…[Laughter] Clothing stylist, photographer, and the photographer’s assistant. You will pose in front of the camera for hours and after taking a thousand shots, you hope the photographer will find a handful that he likes and can work with.

Kreyolicious: What’s the most memorable assignment you’ve had thus far?

I would definitely say working with Sarodj Bertin for the 2015 I love Haiti calendar. I worked with another model, Hencha who I’ve been friends with for majority of my life. This was also one of the hardest assignments I’ve had because it lasted 12 hours. We were on the road traveling to some of Haiti’s most treasured locations, but it was worth it. The pictures came out beautifully and the experience was amazing. I am still grateful for this opportunity.

Kreyolicious: Are your parents big supporters of your modeling career?

Yes, they are. My parents support me no matter how far-fetched my goals are. They are truly the most loving and encouraging parents out there. My mom is my rock. I talk to her constantly and she always knows just what to say to lift my spirits up. She is a living angel and the biggest blessing God gave me.

Kreyolicious: How do you stay connected with Haitian culture?

I was an editor for two years for Magic Haiti magazine. I learned so much about how wonderful our culture is. The articles I edited included hole in the wall restaurants, up-and-coming artists, secret getaway locations, interviews with entrepreneurs and the list goes on. We have a very dynamic and colorful culture. Haitians are some of the strongest people I’ve ever met. We’ve been through it all, but no matter how many times we fall we stand up more vigorously each time. There is so much to be proud of. Our people are sympathetic, very talented—but most importantly—indestructible.

Photo Credit: PhotoTale Studio

Kreyolicious: Throw some pearls of wisdom to all the aspiring models out there.

Never give up. Continue being determined and don’t let others discourage you. Life is too short to not go after what you want. And if you’re not successful, so what? At least, you know you tried your hardest and gave it your best. That’s all that really matters.

Kreyolicious: Lots of women start out as models, and then move on to something else. What are your goals?

Music! I’ve been writing songs, short stories, and poetry for as long as I can remember. Whenever I’m writing, I feel as though I’m in a different realm from everyone else. I’m really good with words and using them to to expose a wide variety of topics from controversial issues to more personal ones such as an emotional and enlightening experience. In the past year, I’ve written over 25 songs and I will be recording some for the first time [this year].

[Photos Credit: Second and last photo PhotoTale Studio; All others furnished by subject.]

CLICK HERE TO VISIT NANA DELATOUR ON INSTAGRAM

The film business has been a big part of Mario Delatour’s life for a good while now. Born in South America to Haitian parents, Delatour’s career has taken him to Haiti, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and the Middle East. Delatour is touted by many observers as a natural-born storyteller, who uses film to tell his stories.

His career launched off in the late 1970s, when he decided to embark in the world of cinema. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Delatour breathed film as much as he breathed oxygen. In 2002, he decided to explore post-Apartheid South Africa with his project The limits of Patience. In recent years, his subject has been almost exclusively Haiti, a little island, as we all know, that is the inspiration for so many fascinating stories worth telling.

Delatour’s career is in full swing. There’s never a moment of dullness in his life, or a dearth of subjects. One of his most acclaimed documentaries has been Un Certain Bord de Mer, a work that chronicled Arab and Middleastern presence in Haiti. Delatour has also made Quarante Ans Après [Forty Years After], a documentary about the Jacmel-born poet, diplomat, and journalist Roussan Camille. Camille died in 1961, the same year he won the Prix Dumarsais Estimé for his poetry collection Multiple Présence. While he was known as one of the most prolific poets of his generation, Camille’s name in later years, was very little known outside of intellectual circles. Delatour aimed to change this with his documentary. Quarante Ans Après was screened at the world’s most prestigious film festivals Brussels, Belgium, Montreal, Jacmel and Amiens, France.

A graduate of the Columbia School of Motion Pictures and Television in Los Angeles, Delatour has made his alma mater proud at every turn. In 2004, he founded his own film production company, Amistad Films. Not surprisingly, the documentarian expediently put together a doc about the 2010 Haiti earthquake with 35 Long seconds: Haiti’s Deadly Earthquake (it’s French title is 35 Secondes Fatales). This year, he was part of the Cine del Caribe Traveling Filmmaker showcase in Havana, Cuba.

Delatour’s most recent project is Dead or victorious but not Prisoner, which traces the life of Alix Pasquet (and one-time Tuskegee Airman) and his participation—along with two Haitian exiles and U.S. nationals—in an invasion and overthrow of then-Haitian president Francois Duvalier in the late 1950s.

Q & A

So you were born in Venezuela of Haitian parents, were your parents exiles there?
My parents moved to Venezuela in 1950 where my father worked as a civil engineer. In the early fifties Venezuela was booming with petroleum dollars and so opportunities were plentiful for professionals from all over the world. This is about the time when Venezuela was experiencing a massive arrival of immigrants notably Italians fleeing the harsh conditions of post World War II Europe. I was born in Caracas in September of 1955. Four months later—in January of 1956—my parents brought me to Haiti. Haiti has been with me ever since!

What led you to launch your film company Amistad Films in the mid-2000’s?
In January of 2001, I came back to Haiti after a 10 year absence. This was a difficult period for me, as tragedy had struck my family with the passing of my oldest brother Leslie Delatour who died of cancer. I decided to stay in Haiti to be closer to my grieving parents and family. I didn’t regret the decision as the ten years that I had been away from Haiti had been a roller coaster ride which took me to, roughly 15 different countries on assignment. In those days, I worked in various capacities as a cameraman, a researcher, a production manager and later on as a producer. I had spent the last three years of those ten years producing in Japan for European networks, principally RTL—Radio Television Luxembourg. My professional life up until that time had been to feed television networks with various story ideas and to assist others in making their films. I had felt that the time had come for me to apply all of this work experience to making my own films. So in 2002, I founded the film company Amistad Films as a joint venture between myself and a dear friend of mine, Dominican film producer Jaime Pina. The idea was to service the production needs of foreign film companies looking to work in either Haiti or in the Dominican republic. Needless to say, we also looked forward to producing our own indigenous films.

The word Amistad means friendship in Spanish. Filmmaking I felt, was a way to bridge the differences between the two countries on the island. If we could make films to showcase our respective cultures we could help break the vicious cycle of stereotypes which have kept the two people apart and suspicious of one another.

In the process, we successfully serviced a number of visiting production companies on both sides of the island. One production that I am particularly proud to have assisted is Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates’ series on Blacks in Latin America. The series filmed both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and looked at the keen difference between how the two nations dealt with their African heritage. The piece was broadcasted on PBS in 2011 and was the subject of much discussion.

As for making our own films, in 2002, I produced my first 52-minute film on the very talented Haitian poet Roussan Camille, a man who had done much to promote and secure a place for Haiti among its neighbors. The biography film premiered at Vues d’Afrique in Montreal in 2003 to much raving success.

Your film company Amistad Films has HASCO La Grand Dame listed as your oldest documentary, dating back to the year 1988. Was that your first documentary?
The acronym HASCO stands for Haitian American Sugar Cane Company. For many years, HASCO was Haiti’s premier sugar cane plant. The plant was started around 1912 and was finished during the American occupation in 1917. HASCO once upon a time powered up the city of Port au Prince with electricity from its powerful generators in the days when the capital was a sleepy Caribbean city of 250,000 people. HASCO however was better known for its network of trains, which went all the way out to the southern city of Léogane. On their way back from the cane fields, the trains would cut through downtown Port-au-Prince and shake every building in the Bord de Mer commercial district. In those days, it was a common sight to see kids run along the side of the trains to catch some free sticks of cane. Unfortunately, a good many lost limbs with this practice—hence the expression, “Banm jamb pran kan”—give a leg and I’ll give you some cane—that came to be associated with HASCO trains.

The Mevs family purchased the plant in the early eighties and kept it running until the early nineties when contraband sugar started flooding the market. It was a sad day when it closed its doors, as HASCO was only second to the state in providing Haitian workers with jobs. Planters, seasonal workers and staff all went out of work because of a massive influx of cheap sugar on the Haitian market. This signed the death warrant of HASCO. It made no sense to keep such a costly operation running! In 1988, Mrs. Huguette Mevs called on to me to produce a film on sugar. I seized on the opportunity to tell the story of HASCO. It was only my second documentary film. In 1983, I had made a 30-minute film on road building in Haiti.

You made a documentary Un Certain Bord de Mer about the Arabic heritage of some Haitians. How did the idea for this project come about?
I am a nomadic soul by nature, my parents instilled the travel bug in me early on with long trips to far away lands like the Congo—a country where my family dropped anchor for a year in 1966. All of this to tell you, that I have always been fascinated by the reasons that cause people to move around the world. The Arab community is a thriving one in Haiti. I had often pondered on how they came to choose Haiti as their final destination, and so while researching this subject for the film, I discovered that a good many initially set out for Brazil and came to Haiti purely by accident! The research for this film in 2005 took me to the Middle East on two occasions. I went to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan for the project as the bulk of the community in Haiti came from Lebanon and Syria.

It must be noted as well that a good many Arab families also came from Palestine. The vast majority of the Arabs came to Haiti towards the end of the nineteen-century. Most of them were Christians fleeing the persecution of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over their homeland. The history of the Arabs in Haiti is the same story repeated all over this hemisphere. Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro—he lived from 1825 to 1891—towards the end of his rule went to the region to encourage immigration to his country and so loads crossed the Atlantic in search of a more secure life. It is around that time that many came to Haiti during the reign of president Florvil Hypollite in 1891. I must tell you that initially they were not welcomed with open arms and measures were taken to expel them on two occasions. This took place under the rule of president Leconte. The Americans gave the community a brief respite during their 19 year occupation simply because they imported goods from America as opposed to the Haitian elite which imported goods mostly from Europe. T

The community hit another snag in 1930 with the laws of President Vincent, which seriously hindered their commercial activities. The laws proved to be unpopular and were rescinded. Further down the line in the sixties, President Duvalier favored the community over the mulatto class and gave them preferential treatment. Today the community is well integrated and is an economic force to reckon with. In a nutshell that is the story of our Haitian-Arab brothers in Haiti! The documentary Un Certain Bord de Mer examines all this period and describes in details the up and downs of the community in Haiti. Bord de Mer by the way is Port-au-Prince’s commercial district by the sea front.

Roussan Camille, a poet of the 1940s era in Haiti was the subject of one of your documentaries. How did you get introduced to him?
In the early sixties, Roussan Camille’s family lived next door to us in Bourdon. I never knew the poet as a child though I was a good friend of his son Jean Camille. Roussan Camille died in 1961 at the age of 49, a premature death by all accounts. I was introduced to the world of the poet through the numerous photographs he left behind. A very tall stylish man whose talent was used by numerous Haitian presidents notably Dumarsais Estimé, Paul Eugène Magloire and François Duvalier. It was Roussan Camille who was instrumental in having Cuban sculptors do the fantastic statues of our national heroes on the Champs de Mars during Magloire’s reign. It was also Roussan Camille who represented Haiti in San Francisco for the birth of the United Nations in 1947. Camille’s book of poems Assault a la nuit is a classic piece of literary work, a cornerstone of Haitian literature.

I was encouraged to make this film by my good friend Régine Estimé daughter of president Dumarsais Estimé. She felt that Haiti was lacking in its collective memory and that today’s youth needed to discover the work of these giants who had done so much to enhance our prestige in the forties, fifties and sixties. It was also Régine Estimé who encouraged me to work with the great Syto Cave. Syto wrote a beautiful poetic text to which I cut a mixture of archival footage, photos and interviews; the result was a very poetic film. The film after it premiered at Vues d’Afrique in Montreal in 2003 created a buzz around the man. As a result, the poet’s daughter received a posthumously literary prize from Deschamps in Haiti. The film was financed by two grants from FOKAL and the French embassy.

You currently live in Miami? Do you go back and forth to Haiti?
I currently live in Haiti as of June of 2012. I’ve recently come back once again to Haiti after a brief stay in Luxembourg for a year and a half. I will be here for a little while, time enough to finish my next film that has been in the making for the last 5 years. Whether or not I leave or stay this time, one thing is certain, I never stay away too long from Haiti. I consider it my home. Having said so, I must say that these are difficult times indeed for Haiti after this dreadful earthquake in 2010 that destroyed so much. An encouraging sign though is the resilience of the Haitian people who’ve managed to move on despite so much hardship.

What procedure did you follow, in terms of coming up with research, and interview subjects?
The research work for every film is different; it depends on the subject matter that you are treating. In the year 2000 in Japan for example, I did research for a piece on foreign girls working as bar hostesses in Tokyo. The work was interesting as I spent much time in bars and talked to Russian, Ukranian and German girls who worked on a part time basis in the field. My initial idea, that this sort of work was somewhat borderline prostitution turned out to be something quite different. These girls simply entertained their customers by pouring their drinks, listening to their jokes and they made these overworked salary men feel like kings and in the process they made money. The point is you need to jump in without any preconceived notions. You need to be curious and open minded and go with the flow of the work!

In 2006, the U.S, embassy in Haiti had asked me to do a piece on violence and the need for dialogue. Well, I spent much time in the field, particularly in Cité Soleil where kidnappings were rampant in those days. I spoke to gang leaders, foot soldiers and child soldiers. I went to juvenile detention centers; I also spoke to kidnapping victims to get a sense of what propelled this senseless violence. As a rule, there is always more underneath! Often this work is potentially dangerous and hairs-rising, but these are the risks of the trade.

In 1996 we researched a story on a case of infanticide in Rwanda, a nation that had gone through the trauma of genocide where nearly a million people perished over the course of 120 days. We wondered how a woman that had witness so much killing in her village could find the strength to throw her own baby down a latrine. This story required that we spend time with this woman in the prison where she was incarcerated that we listened to her side of the story and not judged her. In a nutshell, once your research is done you’ll know who to interview and how to approach them!

You’re a documentary filmmaker, and your subjects are almost exclusively Haiti-related. Now, with the many fires, and now the earthquake that happened in 2010, do you think it’ll be somewhat difficult more than ever to find archival sources and documents to supplement your documentaries?
This is a very pertinent question as archives are quite difficult to access in Haiti. Where are the archives in Haiti? Well for the most part they are in the hands of private individuals, families, and some few existing foundations and there lies the problem, as these individuals or families or foundations are not always keen on sharing these documents. And why is that? Because of a lack of trust, the keepers of these documents are not always sure of your intentions hence there tends to be great suspicion in producing documents to others. Another thing is the complete lack of real established institutions like museums that could guarantee the safety of these documents and assure some sort of protection for future generations.

Having said so, in the midst of a devastated downtown Port-au-Prince, one can still go the library of the Frères de l’Instruction Chrétienne of Saint Louis de Gonzague and find relevant documents. It is quite amazing! Right across from that institution is the Bibliothèque Nationale where I was able to find periodicals for the Roussan Camille film. As a documentary filmmaker one is often in a seduction mode with various individuals to access their private archives. You need to establish trust or prove that your reputation is worthy of trust. For instance I was not successful in obtaining much family pictures from Arab families in Haiti for the film Un Certain Bord de Mer, believe it or not, a good many of the pictures used in that film, I was able to obtain them from an archive center in Beyrouth Lebanon known as Mémoire Collective.

The trend is beginning to change though with progressive institutions like FOKAL where you can go and access documents. Everyone is welcomed and thank God for that! Now the earthquake has done a lot harm because much was lost. I myself have lost 30% of my visual archives as there were stored in the family house which was leveled during the earthquake.

You studied film at Columbia School of Motion Pictures and Television in Los Angeles, and later you minored in Third World Cinema at UCLA. What are some of the biggest lessons you learned in film school?
Going to film school in the middle of Hollywood was the thrill of my life. I was just a young boy of twenty when I drove out west and what a rare privilege to have gone to film school in the world’s biggest film environment. In film school you watch films, you study them, you analyze them, you meet the people who make those films, your teachers work in the industry etc…It is an enlightening moment to be part of that. Los Angeles is also home to AFI, the American Film Institute, a higher institution of learning. If you are lucky you can get invited to attend seminars where you see and hear the pros of the film industry. At UCLA I was in the Latin American Studies department and I was privy to attend classes at the film school where I was exposed to third world films. I had never seen films before from Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Argentina and countries in Africa like Sénégal. I had an Ethiopian professor named Theshome Gabriel who was instrumental in educating me and helping me discover emerging filmmakers from the third world. Closer to our reality in Haiti I must say, I was very impressed by the Cuban films I saw at UCLA. It was an awakening moment for me as those countries with meager resources were able to produce quality films. Whereas they teach you in the industry of Hollywood that you cannot make a film for less than a million dollars, Cubans were making films with a hundred and fifty thousand dollars and sometimes less.

Do you think it’s a must for every aspiring filmmaker to attend film school?
I highly recommend it though it is not always a ticket to success!

Documentary filmmaking is such a big part of your life. Will you eventually adventure to feature filmmaking?
My first film The New Tenant was a short shot on 16 mm with a cast of professional actors, so I came from a background of feature films. My friend Syto Cave recently encouraged me to write for fiction and I think I will do just that but I must tell you that filmmaking is a very challenging process. It sucks the wind of you!

Which work are you most proud of?
I am in the process of wrapping up the editing on a project I started five years ago. It deals with the Alix Pasquet invasion of Haiti in July of 1958 to topple president Francois Duvalier. The film is a historical one. Though it is not yet complete, I must say that the usage of animation for the reenactment scenes coupled with historical footage and photos and talking heads is new departure for me. It’s looking pretty good so far and hopefully soon the public will be able to see it.

Film director Mario Delatour has had a career as diverse as his upbringing. He was born in Venezuela to Haitian parents. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and currently lives in Haiti. His films are focused on different aspects of Haiti’s history: immigration from the Middle East to Haiti in the 19th Century, the history of Haiti’s banking system, and even the invasion of Haiti by three in the late 1950s. Last year, he chose to cover more than two centuries of history of Haiti’s forests in Where Did The Trees Go? The project will screen at the Haiti Cultural Exchange Haiti Film Fest on May 13 at the Maroney Theater at Saint Francis College in New York.

Kreyolicious: What would you say is the favorite film that you have produced?
Well, every film is different. It is sort of like parents who deal with their children. Every child requires different sets of challenges. The subject matters are different. The economic means are sometimes more precarious. The time constraints are not always the same, and the people you collaborate with can make or break a film. [It] makes a huge difference if the right chemistry is not there!

All of my films are a work of labor, and I cherish the experiences that each one allowed me. When you make films ,you go through a lot. You meet a lot of challenges. You face tough decisions. I am glad that I was able rise up to the occasion and I am also thankful that the films exist today. I will leave a body of work for Haiti.

Kreyolicious: As you were going down in your journey as a filmmaker, what was the best advice you were given?
To be persistent. Stick to your guns, and follow your dreams. And I must say, I did.

Kreyolicious: And now as a seasoned filmmaker, what advice would you like to give out to those aspire to get to your level?
The same.

Above: Director Mario Delatour at a screening of one of his previous films Storming Papa Doc. Photo Via: AyitiImages

Kreyolicious: What’s your view on the future of Haitian filmmaking?
If the old pass the baton to the younger generation, and [if] the young “upcoming Turks” are willing to listen, then the future of filmmaking in Haiti looks bright.

Having said [this], filmmakers—whether young or old—cannot possibly make films if they can’t raise money. This has always been The $64,000 question! Where to do you get the money to make films? Film has always been—and remains—a very expensive medium.

Haiti should look to its neighbor the Dominican Republic, and see what they have done in terms of creating a state fund for filmmakers. Also, how the Dominican filmmakers have grouped themselves to create a solid Filmmaker’s Association that in turn has acted as a powerful lobby to enact laws in their legislature to promote filmmaking in their country. The result has been tremendous for them. They do over 20 feature films of their own every year and they host a cavalcade of foreign film companies who come to film in the Dominican Republic, and they get tax breaks.

On our side of the island, let us not reinvent the wheel. Let us get to work and do the same.

[Main Photo: via AyitiImages]

Director Mario Delatour’s film will screen on May 13 at 2 p.m. at St. Francis College | Maroney Theater |180 Remsen Street | Brooklyn, NY 11201 |

CLICK HERE to visit the Haiti Cultural Exchange website and learn more about director Mario Delatour and the other filmmakers taking part in Haiti Cultural Exchange Haiti Film Fest!