A Celebration of Pan American Culture Through Film: Inspiring documentaries that bring the diverse stories, vibrant cultures and remarkable contributions of Pan American peoples to the screen.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme’s powerful tribute to Haitian radio journalist and human rights activist Jean Dominique provides a revealing look at Haiti’s turbulent history. An owner and operator of Haiti’s oldest and only free radio station, Dominique was frequently at odds with the government and used the power of his voice as a radio host to fight tirelessly for the rights of Haitians. In the 80s and early 90s Dominique spent much of his time in exile in New York, where Demme met and interviewed both Dominique and his life-long love, wife Michele Montas. Following Dominique's shocking and still-unsolved assassination in April 2000 Demme assembled more than a decade's worth of archival footage to celebrate this dynamic man and his lasting legacy.
Through this series, Hot Docs is participating as a Cultural Collaboration with PANAMANIA presented by CIBC, the arts and cultural festival of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.