The Agronomist

I recently re-watched The Agronomist, a documentary on the life of a radio journalist from an elite Haitian background whose radio station criticized government abuses and oppression of the Haitian people. I first saw the powerful film at a Catholic church, predominantly white, where they were trying to increase knowledge of Haiti to their congregation because the church's sister parish was in Haiti. Dominique was also the first film director of a Haitian film about Haitians, so his importance as a pioneer in Haitian cinema cannot be overlooked, either. The only problem with the documentary is that Wyclef Jean is part of it, and it's hard to take him seriously about Haiti after this great piece in The New York Times demonstrated how his charities in Haiti were mismanaging funds, corrupt, and never finished construction projects. Jean even had his charity pay him a hefty sum for a benefit performance. Such a person who would take advantage of his own people for profit, even though he's already relatively successful, deserves no respect. But I digress. Perhaps my main reason for appreciating the film is the power of the medium of radio. My great-aunt, God bless her soul, always listened to the radio and told me tales of how central radio was for Haitians as a source of news, entertainment, and commentary. She even told me about hearing of the assassination of Martin Luther King on Haitian radio, and I am sure witnessed many other great moments. Consequently, the significance of a critical, free radio in Haiti, exemplified by Dominique and his wife's radio station and commentary, illustrates his important role in fomenting resistance and an informed Haitan public. Indeed, upon Dominique's return to Haiti, he's greeted by large crowds of supporters at the airport, following him on foot from the airport to the station, one of the documentary's most moving scenes.

Another reason I appreciated this documentary is for illuminating the negative role of the US via military occupation, in supporting the Duvaliers and the transitional military government against the democratically-elected president, often through the CIA. Of course, the documentary is from an era where Aristide was rightly associated with the interests of the poor majority, but looking back in 2013, Aristide would seem to turn out much like his predecessors. Nevertheless, the film is an emotional tour de force on the role of a free press for maintaining an informed public and holding the government accountable. Historical precedents from Haitian history date back to the 1820s, when Boyer had Felix Darfour murdered for criticizing his colorist and oppressive rule in the newspapers and sending a petition to the government. And this was when the overwhelming majority of the Haitian populace could not read newspapers or petitions, not like radios which democratized the dissemination of knowledge more so than the written word. In fact, one could see another parallel in Cedras and Boyer as brutal, mulatto heads of state, too. Moreover, Dominique established ties to peasant associations, which I believe to be the best way to support Haiti's rural poor: assist cooperatives, unions, and other associations in their struggles against the predatory Haitian state and the interests of sweatshop-pushers from the US brands. One could also see the importance of having a non-corporate media, too, since most American newspapers and tv news are now owned and controlled by a handful of people with corporate interests that will, inevitably, intersect in their coverage and perspective on the news.

Let's all pray for a free press as internet news and alternatives to corporate media continue to grow.