Movie night in Haiti’s Camps

By Emmanuel — April 27, 2010 | 0 comments

Port-au-Prince - Tele Mobil is a mobile cinema organization, founded before the earthquake by accomplished Haitian movie Director, Jacques Roc, the director of several Haitian blockbusters.

The camp where they’re working tonight in Port-au-Prince used to be a soccer field, according to Jean Marcson Benoit, a young volunteer, who is leading the crew. TeleMobil, which is supported by the UN’s MINUSTAH as well as other firms and companies, was initially set up especially for Cité Soleil.

However right after the earthquake, the organizers realized that the project could not only be for Cite Soleil, but should be for other camps that needed activities.

So, they have enlarged the program, with the crew split into small units of 4 members, plus equipment, per camp. They program began in February the 25th at four particular camps: Champs-de-Mars, St Louis de Conzague, place Boyer and Ste Thérèse.

At first, I thought this was the same free movies and music provided by other organizations, playing any type of movies or music to keep people busy. I was wrong. Tele Mobil does not just screen movies: they analyze the movies first, they chose movies without too much violence, and they also cut the adults scenes out when necessary. The most interesting thing is they randomly pick, train and employ youths in order to bring the same programs to more camps.

I have also seen more than ten trailers onscreen featuring Haitian actors providing information about cases like assault and theft. These were shot specifically for the purpose of being aired at camps so that if any of those watching find themselves in those situations, they will know exactly what to do, and even how to prevent those events.

I asked Marcson, the young volunteer, what will happen when Tele Mobil are no longer in these camps, as the authorities have started moving camp people to their temporary shelters elsewhere. He told me they will follow and deliver the same programs to the people anywhere as long as they are needed, from Thursday to Sunday, from 4:00 pm in the afternoon to 10:00pm in the night.

At the Tele Mobil screening tonight, I met a guy named Chery Wilner, who told me that the screenings are good for people in the camps, since it provides a break in their lives from the stress and worry that they are surrounded with.

In addition to the social perks, M. Wilner also points out, that these activities have helped bring him more customers to his little “mobil boutik”, which he runs alongside the nightly screenings.

Marcson also tells that he is proud to be a member of this group, because whenever he runs into people on the streets that he used to see at the camps, they greet him and ask why he doesn’t come by every day. As a young camera assistant, he already feels his fame is growing!

Port-au-Prince student, fixer and researcher Emmanuel Midi blogs weekly for Inside Disaster from Haiti. You can learn more about him in these blog posts, connect with him on Facebook or through his business, Haiti Fixers.

Emmanuel volunteers with the youth organization Fonds D’Actions pour le Développement (FAD), profiled by Nicolas Jolliet last month.

Tags: Camps Emmanuel Midi Featured