I've mentioned Kevin Pina on my journal, before. I have a great deal of respect for him and the work he does for Haiti. I've had the opportunity to see his excellent film, Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits six or seven times. He's lived in Haiti, been arrested for reporting on the atrocities of the Haitian National Police, and literally knows everyone involved in Haitian social justice work.

Last March, the Haiti activism group I belong to had Pina in Toronto to introduce his film. Afterward, he joined us for dinner, and I had some opportunity to chat with him. One of the things that he encouraged me to do was to visit Sopudep school in Petyonvil. "Tell them I sent you," he said, "and they'll be happy to show you the school." He's not the first person to tell me about Sopudep: I've met a large number of activists who've talked approvingly about the school.

There's a lot to admire about Sopudep. It's a good school, with an effective programme, run by Haitians (something I favour over schools run by foreign charity groups -- often churches). Their founder/leader, Rea Dol, is a grassroots activist who also works in adult literacy and women's economic empowerment.

There's also a symbolic story about the building where the Sopudep school is located: the building was once the home of one of the Tonton Makout. I think there's something very poignant about taking a building with that kind of legacy and transforming it into a school.

The main reason I'm posting this is that Sopudep school has recently issued an urgent appeal for funds to cover their operating expenses over the next three months. This appeal has reached me through the activist communities that I'm connected with. Unfortunately, this is, I think, the fourth emergency appeal I've seen in those communities in the last coupl'a months, and my fear is that the activist communities are tapped out. So I'm asking for your help.

Sopudep does a great deal with very modest amounts of money. The average annual salary of a Sopudep teacher is USD $500. That's less than $50 a month. They have a hot lunch programme to ensure that kids get meals: this is one of the most tangible consequences of the 2004 coup. When Aristide was president, the food programme received govenment funding. That funding ceased after the coup. More recently, they've been working on a housing programme for street kids.

The school is trying to raise USD $6,000 to cover three months of operating expenses. Some US and Canadian groups have helped make it easy to give. You can send money though PayPal. There are also options for Canadians or Americans to get tax receipts for any donations (information available at the same link).

So: I'm asking you. Can you spare $20 or $40 or anything? I believe in this school because people I trust believe in this school.

There's a cool saying that was quoted to me by a Haitian politician, at one of the first Haiti social justice events I attended:

If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a seed.
If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree.
If you are thinking one hundred years ahead, educate the people.

I've always liked that saying.

I was Googling Malcolm X bio stuff today, and that got me in a mood to re-watch Lee's Malcolm X. I bought a copy several years ago, but I think I've only seen it once.

Coincidentally, I recently bought and watched a copy of Inside Man, one of my favourite heist films. Also by Lee. There's a scene in each film that's almost identical.

In Inside Man, Denzel Washington plays Detective Keith Frazier, who is the lead detective on a bank robbery. Frazier figures out that the robbery isn't a normal robbery, and he pushes and cajoles the head robber. Finally, to prove that the thieves mean business, they kill one of the hostages. Frazier suddenly becomes consumed. There's a shot: Frazier exits the police command vehicle, and we see him centred in the camera frame, walking forward. In fact, the actor is on a dolly with the camera, and the camera is dollying backward. The effect is that although the main character appears to be moving forward, at the same time there's a complete stillness about him. He's not walking; he's gliding. The effect makes him look intense. Single-minded.

Tonight, I noticed that Lee used the same kind of shot in Malcolm X. Malcolm, on his way to the church where he'll ultimately become assassinated, seems... I dunno. On automatic pilot. The same device is used. Washington, this time playing Malcolm X, moved down the sidewalk. As in Inside Man, the actor is on a dolly, and he's gliding. The distance between the camera and the actor remains constant. The background falls into the distance. Same intense, single-minded look.

I find it really interesting to see such clear examples of directorial devices.

Brigid: Goddess, Druidess, and Saint by Brian Wright.

Current Location: Vancouver, BC

Current Mood: relaxed

Current Music: Emmeline Michelle