- “The Comedians” (1967): Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this political drama stars Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and is set in Haiti during the dictatorship of Papa Doc Duvalier.
- “Sugar Cane Alley” (1983): Directed by Euzhan Palcy, this French-language film follows the story of a young boy growing up in a sugar cane plantation in 1930s Haiti.
- “Moloch Tropical” (2009): Directed by Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, the film is set in modern-day Haiti and portrays the character of a despotic president nearing the end of his rule.
- “Murder in Pacot” (2014): Also directed by Raoul Peck, this film tells the story of a couple whose lives are deeply affected by the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.
- “Papa Machete” (2014): A short documentary film, it explores the life of Alfred Avril, a farmer and master of the Haitian martial art of machete fencing known as Tire Machčt.
- “Breath, Eyes, Memory” by Edwidge Danticat: This powerful novel explores the lives of Haitian women and the themes of motherhood, identity, and the struggle for freedom. It tells the story of a young girl named Sophie, who is forced to leave her homeland and move to New York City.
- “The Farming of Bones” by Edwidge Danticat: Also written by Danticat, this novel takes place during the 1937 massacre of Haitians in the Dominican Republic. It follows the life of Amabelle, a young Haitian woman working on a sugar cane plantation, as she navigates love, loss, and the brutality of the era.
- “Madison Smartt Bell’s trilogy: All Souls’ Rising, Master of the Crossroads, and The Stone That the Builder Refused.” This trilogy provides a fictionalised account of the Haitian Revolution and includes characters and rich historical detail. It delves into the complex social and political landscape of colonial Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) during this era.
- “An Untamed State” by Roxane Gay: This novel explores sexual assault, resilience, and the aftermath of trauma. It follows the story of Mirielle, a woman from a wealthy Haitian-American family who is kidnapped and held captive in Haiti. The book delves into her fight for survival and the impact of the experience on her and her family.
- “Krik? Krak!” by Edwidge Danticat: This collection of short stories revolves around the struggles and triumphs of Haitian people. Through vivid and poignant narratives, Danticat explores themes of family, love, and the haunting legacies of Haiti’s turbulent history.
WANDERLIST: Haiti in books and on film
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