Les Nouveaux Gouverneurs

«Les Nouveaux Gouverneurs de la Rosée»: What is it?

For over two years, we have been working on a documentary about return migrations of the Haitian Diaspora after the earthquake of 2010 that devastated Port-au-Prince. A film about identity, belongingness and diaspora’s importance in the process of reconstruction and development of Haiti.

What makes this documentary unique is the unguided nature of the questions and answers: the floor is given to main characters, in the form of sociological interviews

Why we need you:

Until now, the documentary has been self-produced, but to complete the post-production (mixing and calibrating), we need a professional touch. That is why we need you today! By helping us, you’re contributing to the realization of this great project and encouraging an original and independent documentary! In advance, thank you very much for your help and let’s meet at the preview!

A long way...

• 3 trips
• 40 days of shooting
• 80 hours of footage
• 25 interviews
• 18 months of film editing
• …and it’s not over yet!

Synopsis

«After the earthquake of January 12, 2010 that devastated the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, many Haitians living abroad decided to return to their home country to lend a hand to the relief effort. What are the stakes of such returns? Halfway between questions of identity and development ideology, this documentary examines, through various life stories, the experiences and perceptions of return Haitian migrants as well as their place in the process of development and reconstruction»

Why the title «Les Nouveaux Gouverneurs de la Rosée»?

In 1944 the novel ’Gouverneur de la Rosée’ (’Master of the Dew’) of Jacques Roumain, a Haitian writer and communist politician, is published posthumously. Manuel, is a return migrant who wants to bring back to his village the modern agricultural techniques that he learned abroad. Returning to a land devastated by drought and conflicts between clans, he will go as far as he can to save his village and reconcilie the people in order for them to collectively enhance their future. Once all together, they are stronger and can bring peace and prosperity to their village. This idea of skilled migrants who after a certain amount of time abroad, decide to come back to their ’home’ country and altogether get involved in the process of socio-economic development of the country is appealing especially in the Haitian context.

Pourquoi le titre « Les Nouveaux Gouverneurs de la Rosée » ?

Œuvre posthume, « Les Gouverneurs de la Rosée » de l’écrivain haïtien Jacques Roumain, est un classique de la littérature haïtienne. Ce roman raconte l’histoire de Manuel, rentré dans son pays après plus de 15 ans, où il a appris des techniques d’agriculture modernes. Revenant sur une terre dévastée par la sécheresse et les conflits, il va faire l’impossible pour réconcilier les habitants et ramener l’eau, la source de la vie.

Cette figure du migrant qui, après un certain temps passé à l’étranger, retourne pour s’investir dans le développement de son pays, nous la retrouvons dans les histoires de nos protagonistes, dans leur retour, dans leur appartenance à cette terre, à cette île.