The Agronomist

I spent quite a bit of time in Haiti when I was a child in the late sixties until the last time I went down there when I was in my early 20's, just after Baby Doc left the country. The memories are a combination of the most magical place on earth and the most tragic. I think many people who had contact with Haiti would say the same. The Agronomist is the story of a true Haitian hero and the ultimate price he paid for his passion to inform and enlighten the forgotten masses of people by running the only Creole radio station on the island. The tragedy is so many other well intention Haitians have paid the same price from a series of brutal dictators, who like usual have been supported and backed by other countries like the US and France (where you can see photos of Baby Doc on the ski slopes, while Jean-Bertrand Aristide got dropped in the middle of the Congo by our Compassionate Conservative idiots) The truth of the movie lies in fact then whenever there is a glimpse of hope some external events end up crushing it again and again. The film reminded me of my departed father, who had the guts to bring his family down to a magical place where its beauty is rivaled by its poverty. As a child I played in the streets with all the other children and blew any change I had on soda and chewing gum we would all share. You don't get that experience at Disneyland, thanks dad.

I saw Jonathan Demme's documentary at Cinequest 2004 last night. Wound up in the front row of a small theater (and for a film with subtitles, I *REALLY* advise against this), but I still am very glad I caught the film.

Demme has taken some interesting side trips from his Hollywood career. Quite the "maverick" a phrase that Cinequest likes to tout. I sure would like to come across some old episodes of "Live from Off Center" as an example. I have seen Demme's Spaulding Grey (RIP), Talking Heads and bits of his Robyn Hitchcock documentaries...

The object of his latest documentary, Jean Dominique radiates charisma. This is amplified by clever repeat cutting at times (Dominique sniffing trouble in the wind, Dominique mouthing the machine gun rat-a-tat-tat of soldiers shooting at the radio station he ran in Haiti, Dominique emulating creole non-verbal utterings yet laced with meaning.)

Dominique's exuberance may put some off, as his flair runs towards flamboyance; however for me it simply made for a very engaging hour and a half. In addition to interviews with Dominique directly, we are also treated to footage from his earlier attempt at a career in film. Footage of the mud ritual at Saut d'Eau was spellbinding for me. Other sadly familiar shots of violent rampaging on the streets of Haiti are kept mercifully minimal, but strong enough to disturb the viewer.

And indeed, we should be disturbed. The details of Dominique's efforts are sadly all too lacking. We get a cursory indictment of an American cowboy president, "you know him?" Dominique questions with a grin. An alignment with peasants in the outlying areas and Dominique is shown and supported. I was confused by problems importing ethanol as a beverage, versus the locally produced clairin. (I've since learned that some people and senators, drink ethanol straight without gasoline mixed in).

There is an all-too-short radio interview with Aristide (who as of this writing has recently been removed again from power in Haiti).

We sense Dominique's aggravation with the situation, but never come near what he would propose as a solution. There are blanket statements against say the bourgeoisie that made me curious. How large is said class? Is not Dominique a member of it? Maybe as a reporter he attempted to never cross that imaginary line of subjective versus objective reporting? That does not seem likely. I wish we had seen and heard more from him (and that interview with Aristide, and one with Charlie Rose, etc...)

Perhaps Demme meant this strictly as an homage to a man and his family. His wife and daughter and sister all add interesting anecdotes to the film. Or maybe Demme just offered this to spur further interest in Haiti. I do not know enough, I remain stupefied that the Dominican Republic can share an island with Haiti but not share the strife. And thanks to this film, I did some poking around and learned about the story of Mackandal. Amazing!

Ultimately for me, the film certainly did insure the importance of a free press.....and radio and internet and other public media. I was buoyed by Dominique's grin and general enthusiasm, despite the grim history of Haiti. The way he seemed to feed off his outrage and not be overcome by it was fascinating to me.

Both form and certainly content garner a

7/10

This is one of the most inspiring documentaries I've ever seen. Jean Dominique's unparalleled quest for freedom really made my day and deepened my enormous respect for such idealists. His trademark smile was an invitation to join his struggle. His gestures, his talk, his manner, show an honest and strong man, who could not be bent. Only bullets could (and did) stop him.

Another extremely touching aspect of his story is the level of bonding they had with his wife. It is such a rarity and such a wonderful thing to happen, that you cannot but feel happy that these two people have met and enjoyed their life together.

As a documentary, it is flawlessly shot. The timing is right, each episode's duration is well calculated, it flows smoothly and it respects its material.

Absolute must-see.

The Agronomist, a documentary film by Johnathon Demme, director of Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, was made over the course of a decade in Demme's free time about the Haitian radio journalist. When Dominique was killed, this movie became about a martyr story for the people. Demme does a decent job with the confusing tale, but his documentary style might border on boring if it weren't for the astounding presence of Dominique himself. He is a wildly eccentric man, and very funny to watch, especially with his large white teeth and folding face. But you know while you're watching him that he's also very serious. This is at the same time a political movie and the study of an endlessly interesting man. It is a movie that sides with the Democratic, but to call it a Liberal movie is unfair, since the Democratic interests in Haiti are on a much different scale than those of America. Their interests were freedom, every day life. To them, Clinton was a chance for freedom and democracy, and I respect that. There are wonderful sequences such as when they talk about his love of film and agriculture. He was "an agronomist without any land." This is a moving picture that offers a lot of insight into the Haitian culture, and lets us see it through the eyes of this wonderful little man.

My grade: 8/10

"The Agronomist", Jean Dominique of Haiti's story, is somewhat interesting, but not that much. The slant that director Jonathan Demme put on Dominique's life is what a great man he was for his tireless efforts to save Haiti from dictatorship, lack of free speech, and general repression. As I watched the film, I began to wonder if this was possible. Dominique's broadcasts are good historical information, but we only see a small fraction of them, so it's hard to really tell how "revolutionary" his radio station was. I'm surprised that the government let Dominique keep the station after exiling him twice. I liked Jean Dominique, I think he had a fierce spirit, and wanted to see a democratic, quasi-socialistic Haiti, a Haiti something like Norway or Sweden. A few days after I saw the film, what I'm really left with is how miserably poor Haiti is (except for the few mega-rich that run things). I think this is more of a small screen film for PBS, vs. something for the big screen, if you haven't seen it, wait til the DVD.