film

Once There Was a Country: Revisiting Haiti

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Producer(s)	Kimberly Green, Juan Carlos Zaldivar, Wassim Serham, Rhonda Mitrani
Director(s)	Kimberly Green
Release Date	2005
Work In Progress	n
Runtime	53 min
Youth Media	n
Educational Materials	Yes

Film Description

Narrated by Maya Angelou and Guy Johnson, Once There was A Country examines the causes of the present healthcare crisis in Haiti at the beginning of the twenty-first century and provides examples on how innovative, self-sustaining healthcare programs can alleviate poverty and disease in the most isolated regions of Haiti.

The film highlights Haiti’s rich cultural heritage and the little known triumphs of a country that is home to the first successful slave revolt in the world and which became the first black-ruled nation in The New World. Once There Was a Country: Revisiting Haiti explores the social and environmental reasons behind a failing healthcare infrastructure and Haiti’s status as the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Once There Was a Country aims to dispel the myths surrounding this misunderstood country and provide viewers with a surprisingly positive point of view.

The film follows a Haitian family during a six-month period as they are treated for tuberculosis. The film also follows a single man through a direct-observed therapy (DOT) health initiative for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in the area of the Plateau Central Throughout the film, viewers will learn about the historical and cultural context for Haiti’s lack of a proper healthcare system and available alternatives.

The threats posed by the spread of infectious diseases and poverty throughout Haiti will destroy its social fabric if remained ignored and unchecked. The characters undergoing the treatment will serve as as the center point of the film.

The pioneering programs that aim to establish a self-sustaining community-based healthcare and educational system in rural communities will provide a new hope for the people of Haiti.

Official Site	http://www.oncetherewasacountry.com
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Last Updated On:	May 22, 2012

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Related Issues	Economic Justice, Environment, Agriculture, Corporate Violations to the Environment, Family & Society, Health/Health Advocacy, AIDS, Health Reform, Human Rights, Immigration, Refugees, International, Africa, Canada, Carribean Islands, Central America, Middle East, U.S./Foreign Relations, Politics/Government, Legal Reform, Racial Justice, Racial Discrimination, Religious Freedom