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Entertainment

The principal entertainment that we will address in this section are Movies and comedies. There are many talent Haitian individuals performing in there areas. Some of them have reached the international level

Teller of Tales Maurice Sixto

Haitian storyteller Maurice Sixto began life in Gonaïves in 1919. Born into privileged circumstances, son of an engineer, he studied at elite Sainte Louis de Gonzague High School and pursued a legal career at University of Haiti. While there, he fell into journalism working at Le Matin. He then taught English in the Republic of Congo, and was attached to the diplomatic service in Paris.

However, Sixto's greatest contribution to Haiti were his gifts as raconteur. Using his skills as a voice actor, he developed characters to address social ills hounding Haitian culture. One controversial topic of his satires was the unspeakable practice of child slavery, known as restavék. Restavék means servant, unfortunate children who end up as slaves when their families can't care for them. Farmed out to wealthy families to work, they suffer physical, mental, and emotional abuses.

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Haitian Films and Film-Industry Professionals

Following is a list of some of Haiti's most revered and/or prolific filmmakers and their filmic output:

Arnold Antonin, Albert Mangones, Art Naif and Repression in Haiti (1976), Can Sculpture Save the Village of Noailles (2009), Haiti, le Chemin de la Liberté (1973), Heby, Jazz, and Haitian Music (2012), Jacques Roumain, the Passion for a Country (2008), Six Exceptional Women (2012), TIGA: Haiti, Dream, Creation, Possession, Madness (2006)

Vladimir Thelisma, Double Jeu ((2001), Couloir de L'amitié (2010), Destin Tragique (2006), Les Couleurs de la Dignite (2006)

Richard Seneca, Barikad (2003), I Love You Anne (2005), I Love you Anne 2 (2005), Reginal Lubin, La Peur D'aimer, Pouki se Mwen

Herold Israel and Peter Ronald Berlus, Collusion (2009), Histoire D'infidèles (2009), Lovdatnet (2009), Xtreme Blue (2008)

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Film Industry Booming in Haiti

Haitians are rabid movie-goers. Their frequent forays to attend movies has enabled the Haitian film industry to keep producing topical films on pressing social concerns as well as lighter fare. Because Haitians are going to see film in droves, it has allowed the Haitian film industry to steadily increase the amount of product they make, currently a dozen full-length films annually.

Haiti ties with Cuba as the Caribbean regions' most prolific film making country. This is possible because of inexpensive hand-held video cameras, capable of producing quality screen pictures. The cost of an average full-length film costs approximately $40,000.

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Raoul Peck, Honorary Patron at Fabrique Des Cinemas Du Monde 2013

Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde has eventually unveiled, during Cannes Film Festival, its latest edition's project lineup. The aim of Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde that was launched in 2009, is to find financers who can finance the works of different filmmakers from developing countries. Fabrique is located in Cannes' Cinéma du Monde pavilion and is a result of a joint initiative by Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France and Institut francais.

The project lineup for Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde 2013 include The Sigbin Chronicles by Joanna Arong and The Siren of Faso Fani by Michel K. Zongo. While Joanna's work is hovered around mythical Filipino creature, Zongo's work covers the impacts on a town called Burkina Faso because of the closure of its textile factory.

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Raoul Peck Humanitarian Filmmaker

Haitian Raoul Peck, documentarian and feature-filmmaker, began life in Port-au-Prince in 1953. A few years later, François Duvalier's reign began, creating fear in Haitians and causing many to leave and reside elsewhere. Peck's family moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where they lived for the next quarter-century. Peck studied in the DRC and the U.S., his interests drawing him to journalism and photography, but he earned his film degree in Berlin.

As documentarian, Raoul Peck produced and directed before entering feature filmmaking. He achieved early success with 1993's "The Man by the Shore", which became an official entry at Cannes that year. Then Peck received unprecedented global recognition for his film "Lumumba" in 2000. His subsequent film, "Lumumba--Death of a Prophet", grabbed Best Documentary award at Montréal in 2002. He has also received many awards for directing attention to human-rights abuses in his film work. Human Rights Watch bestowed two Lifetime Achievement Awards on him in 2001 and 2003.

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Emeline Michel, Koralen, Jean-Claude Martineau and Edwidge Danticat at Big Night in Little Haiti

Emeline Michel, songwriter born and bred in Haiti, has always flaunted her Haitian roots and she says that the rhythm and lyrics of her 10 albums are all inspired by Haiti and its culture. She says that there is no other element present in her work and it is 100% pure just like Tropicana - a humorous comparison! The poetry-music blend of Emeline Michel at Big Night in Little Haiti is about giving international audience an experience of the Haitian culture without the need to visiting Haiti physically.

For 20 years, Emeline Michel - the vocalist and songwriter, has travelled intensively to help Haitian music spirit penetrate the hearts and souls of global audience. On April 19, she performed at monthly shindig of Little Haiti. This performance was the result of a partnership with O, Miami Poetry Festival.

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Rara Festival In Leogane in 2013

March 23, 2013, Haiti's Minister of Culture, Josette Darguste, met with URAL (Union of Rara of Léogâne) and Organizing Committee. Rara festivities are traditional national cultural festivals of Haiti that is similar to Easter Triduum and Lent celebrated by Christians. The theme under which the Rara was celebrated by the Léogânais this year was, "Rebwazman se zafè rara". The Martelly-Lamothe government gave it greater visibility. This visibility came as a commitment of the government to promote Haiti's identity development and it was also targeted towards ending the platitude of 'Other Regions vs. Republic of Port-au-Prince'.

The members of URAL and the Organizing Committee welcomed Director General of Ministry, his personal office members, Albert Chancy - Advisor to President of the Republic and various other honorary people of Haiti with the sounds of wind lines, bamboo and drums that were played by Rara Modèle d'Haïti group.

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Award Ceremony, Best Performers at Haiti National Carnival 2013

Haitian Minister of Culture, Josette Darguste awarded the winners of National Carnival, 2013 during the award ceremony held at Ibo Lele hotel. The award ceremony was marked by the presence of President Michel Martelly along with Sophia Martelly (his wife), Minister of Tourism, Stéphanie Villedrouin. Various other big-shot personalities were also present at the award ceremony. The three winners of the National Carnival were:

• Anbyans - received the 'Award of originality in the creation'.
• Djakout #1 - received the 'Award of best popular animation'.
• Orchestre Septentrional - received the 'Award of the perfomance'.

The winners were awarded with USD 15,000 check each. The groups Barikad, Zatrap, Team Lobey, T-Micky and T-vice were awarded with medals while Fils, Vorbes and NATCOM were awarded with certificates for the invaluable support they provided to National Carnival Cap-Haitien 2013.

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Sidney Poitier and his Haitian link

A country as rich in culture and history as Haiti must be in possession of great talent, the likes of which has graced world stages and dazzled on the silver screen. More commonly known to have Bahamian ancestry through both parents, Sidney Poitier has a claim to Haitian roots through his father.

In the biography of the actor, written by Carol Berman, it was said that, the family of Sidney Poitier had managed to trace their lineage back to the island of Haiti, where Sidney's father, Reginald Poitier's ancestors had been slaves on a sugar plantation until their escape from the country to the Bahamas. They would eventually settle on the Cat Islands, as his mother's family were also slaves on Bahamian plantations.

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Creole Choir of Cuba Caribbean's Best Export

Grammy-nominated Creole Choir of Cuba has launched their U.S tour in Tallahassee, Florida at the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, much to the excitement of Florida State University students, fervent fans of their music.

The group Creole Choir of Cuba is composed of ten members, five male, five female. Residents of the Cuban community of Camaguey, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Cuba, they sing and play, communicating songs of Haitian folk legends from prior generations, going back over 200 years.

Forebears of Creole Choir of Cuba were displaced from Haiti to Cuba to toil under virtual slavery on sugar and coffee farms. This lasted until Fidel Castro came to power during the Cuban Revolution of 1959.

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