Apparently actor Danny Glover’s planned film on Haitian independence hero Toussaint-Louverture is being shelved due to lack of funds. Though the Venezuelan government has provided $18 million of the $30 million needed to shoot the epic, foreign producers are supposedly reluctant to sign on to the project:
According to Villa del Cine chairwoman Lorena Almarza there is prejudice by US and European producers, who have not contributed the money…
In statements to the Bolivarian News Agency, Almarza pointed out that the script remains unchanged, as well as production agreements in the country, with participation of 50 percent of Venezuelan professional, technical or artistic personnel…
Almarza added that big producers are not interested in producing a film dealing with an anti-slavery movement.
In an interview last month, Glover admitted that producers ask “where are the white heroes?” and claim that “a black film” would fail in the international box office.
“Toussaint” is planned to star Don Cheadle in the titular role along with Angela Bassett and Mos Def.
Image- AFP
Sources- AFP, imdb.com, The Latin Americanist, Prensa Latina
First, I would like to congratulate Danny Glover and the Venezuelan Government for attempting to make a film about Haiti and the Haitian Revolution. The Haitian Revolution had a great impact on freeing slaves in the western hemisphere including slaves in the United States! I have a couple advices for Danny Glover so that he can raise the necessary funds for making this movie turn into reality. What about contacting Tyler Perry? He is very successful with "black movies". Why not getting the Haitian government to invest in the movie? Perhaps, some of the scenes can be filmed in Haiti since security in Haiti is better now. Why not contact some African countries? The Haitian Revolution is directly related to Africa. Why not contact the Haitian Diaspora Unity Congress and the Soros Economic Development Group who cares about Haiti. And finally, celebrities such as Wyclef Jean and Sydney Poitier who are Haitian themselves and other black american celebrities such as Oprah, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson. Make them understand that the Haitian Revolution story needs to be told and that is a source of pride for all African diaspora.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that US and European producers not wanting to support Danny Glover's project on a film about Haiti is not new in terms of isolation of Haiti.
ReplyDeleteAfter years of conflict with France, the people of Haiti declared themselves an independent Republic on January 1st, 1804. Instead of being welcomed into the family of nations however, Haiti was long ignored by the major European powers, and even longer ignored by the United States of America. As early as 1823, Britain recognized the independence of many of Spain's erstwhile colonies, Haiti was not formally recognized until 1825. This was 21 years after they had achieved their actual independence. France waited until 1838 to acknowledge Haitian independence, and this was only obtained at the cost of a large indemnity and a 50% reduction in import duties.
Despite the slow pace of international recognition however, by 1860, important countries had representatives in Haiti. That is all nations except the United States of America. Why was the United States of America unwilling or unable to acknowledge Haiti as an independent nation? The answer lies in the United States of America's retention of slavery. The fact is that the U.S. could not acknowledge the independence of a nation of former slaves while half of their own nation was under the control of slave owners.
Therefore it wasn't until the southern U.S. slave owning states were on the verge of defeat during the American Civil War that a treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation could be signed with Haiti. This occurred on November 1864, more than sixty years after Haiti had actually gained its independence.
If US and European producers are looking for "white heroes", well they can be found! Simon Bolivar would be one. The South American nations of Colombia and Venezuela received assistance from Haiti for their fight for independence from Spain. During his lowest hours, when he had nowhere else to turn for succor, Simon Bolivar twice landed on Haiti, and was on each occasion re-supplied, re-armed and rejuvenated. Without the aide Bolivar received from Haiti his quest for independence from Spain would have been a much prolonged, more bloody affair than it was. That is, if it could have succeeded at all.
Bolivar is credited with contributing decisively to the independence of the present-day countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia and is revered as a national hero in them.
I know that the original script has not been changed but if at the end of the movie, there is a scene showing Bolivar going to Haiti and eventually winning the independence of Latin America, I believe this would be a great strategy to include "white heroes" and hopefully gain the hearts of US and European producers. In other words, it would be a win-win situation. Nonetheless, the Haitian Revolution story would be told on the big screen without taking away from its trutfullness nor its character.
Of interest, there is another film on Toussaint in development and not connected with Danny Glover -- You can see a clip of Toussaint's last moments in prison from the award-winning new short film "The Last Days of Toussaint L'Ouverture" at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2468184/ This film is the basis for the feature.
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