Winner—Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary
In 1937, tens of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent were exterminated by the Dominican army, on the basis of anti-Black racism. Fast forward to 2013: the Dominican Republic’s Supreme Court strips the citizenship of anyone with Haitian parents, retroactive to 1929, rendering over 200,000 people without identity, nationality or homeland. Enraged by this injustice and energized by a belief that things can change, a young attorney, Rosa Iris, commits to challenging electoral corruption and reuniting families split apart by the abrupt and merciless ruling. Through an observational style interwoven with allusions to regional folk tales, director Michèle Stephenson documents the aftermath of a pivotal turning point in the history of two nations with a complex and tumultuous history. Through Iris’s grassroots campaign and relentless fight to restore citizenship for all, the irreparable personal impacts of institutional racism and oppression are laid bare. Mariam Zaidi
A live Q&A, hosted by the NFB, took place on June 3. You can watch it on Vimeo.
Co-presented with CaribbeanTales International Film Festival
Canadian Spectrum program sponsored by
MEDIA COVERAGE