MY
FATHER’S
LAND
A FILM BY
MIQUEL GALOFRÉ
AND
K. TYLER JOHNSTON
(HAITI, BAHAMAS) 53 min.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
SEASON 9
HOST: NIKKI BEHARIE
Nikki Beharie will next be seen as the female lead
in Will Packer Productions remake of Jacob’s
Ladder, directed by David M. Rosenthal. She
recently starred in the hit Fox series Sleepy
Hollow for producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto
Orci, for which she was nominated for an NAACP
Award for “Outstanding Actress in a Drama
Series,” in addition to “Outstanding Actress in
a Motion Picture” for 42 and Entertainer of the
Year. Beharie starred with Michael Fassbender in
Academy Award winning director Steve McQueen’s
feature Shame and began her career on
Broadway opposite Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def in
John Guare’s A Free Man of Color. She was
also the lead of the critically acclaimed feature
American Violet opposite Alfre Woodard and
Tim Blake Nelson for Samuel Goldwyn Films.
AFROPOP: THE ULTIMATE CULTURAL EXCHANGE
AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is a US-based public
television show featuring independent documentaries and short
films about life, art, and culture from the contemporary African
Diaspora. The African Diaspora includes Africa, the Caribbean,
Canada, South America, Europe, the US, and anywhere people
of African descent have made a significant contribution to the
culture.
The films are always carefully selected to portray a more balanced
view of Africa than you’ll get on the nightly news and to provide
fuel for what must be a global conversation on the present day
realities and contemporary lifestyles of Africans, both on the
continent and in the Diaspora.
USING THIS GUIDE
BACKGROUND
The first section of the guide provides
•A synopsis of the film and information on the filmmaker, along with
a list of central characters and topics
•Background on the film’s key issues, focused on brief historical,
cultural, and political context
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
The second part of this guide provides questions crafted to be springboards
for dialogue, inviting audience members to engage with the issues raised in
the film and with one another.
The prompts are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of audiences
and circumstances, so you’ll want to choose those that best meet your
particular needs. You may want to dive directly into an issue-based prompt,
or you can gauge the interests of the audience by starting with a general
question. There’s no reason to cover them all or to use them in order (except
for the “wrap-up” questions, which are intended to help people synthesize
information at the end of a discussion). Typically you’ll only need one or two
questions to get things going; let the audience take it from there, using their
interests to guide the path of the discussion.
Recommended for: high school, college, and adult audiences
RESOURCES
The final section the guide lists related resources. You can use them to
prepare for leading a discussion or recommend them to audience members
seeking additional information.
AFROPOP: THE ULTIMATE CULTURAL EXCHANGE
is produced by the National Black Programming Consortium
(NBPC), distributed by American Public Television (APT), and
supported by funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Guide written by: Faith Rogow, Ph.D., InsightersEducation.com
Guide graphics by: Kathryn Bowser
© 2017 AfroPop TV
National Black Programming Consortium
Reproduction for non-profit educational use is permitted.
BACKGROUND
FILM SYNOPSIS
THE FILMMAKERS
The perpetually upbeat Papa Jah has lived in the poverty-stricken
area in the Bahamas nicknamed The Mud for more than three
decades. Home to Haitian migrants, the people of The Mud have been
marginalized by Bahamian prejudice and by a government crackdown
on undocumented immigrants.
When news arrives of his 103-year-old father taking ill back in Haiti,
Papa Jah fears he may not see him before he passes. MY FATHER’S
LAND follows Papa Jah, as he returns to his native Haiti after a fortyyear absence, hopefully to reunite with his father before its too late.
The journey to his birthplace – a remote home in Latòti – reveals
stunning scenery and rich cultural landscapes, along with personal
tales of migration, discrimination, resourcefulness in the face of limited
resources, and the complex dynamics of national identity across
borders.
Miquel Galofré
Miquel is a documentary filmmaker born in Barcelona and
based in the Caribbean. He has worked as a Director, Producer,
Photographer and Editor for more than 25 years. With experience
in television, commercials and feature film production, he has
traveled extensively and filmed on location around the world.
Miquel’s documentary “Songs Of Redemption” won the Best
Documentary award at the 2014 Krakow Film Festival, and
recently his feature documentary, “Art Connect,” won the Premier
Award at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival.
Topics: aging, Bahamas, citizenship, community, discrimination,
Dominican Republic, family, Haiti, human rights, immigration policy,
migration, national identity, poverty, racism, refugees, undocumented
immigrants
PAPA JAH
Papa Jah [Edison (Dede) Almeis] – age 61. Born in Haiti, Papa Jah left
for the Bahamas in 1974 at age 19 to look for work. Since 1983 he has
lived in the Bahamian community known as The Mud. On his return
to the Bahamas from his trip to Haiti, Papa Jah was detained for six
weeks, at which point he was released and granted a temporary work
permit.
K. Tyler Johnston
Tyler Is an award winning, Producer, Director and Actor, with
Caribbean roots. He has more than a decade of experience in
events and motion picture production in the United States and
thoughout the Caribbean. Tyler works hands on managing diverse
projects and people, keeping the energy positive and goals on
target.
CONTEXT
HAITI
As a colonial territory, the island of Hispaniola was divided between the
Spanish (Dominican Republic) and French (Haiti). Haiti became one
of the wealthiest colonies in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy
importation of African slaves and exploitation of natural resources (which
led to considerable environmental damage). Eventually the slaves revolted,
and in 1804, Haiti became the first post-colonial black-led nation in the
world. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has
been hampered by a series of corrupt political leaders and devastating
natural disasters.
BAHAMAS
Haitians in the former British colony had long faced prejudice and
discrimination, but the situation escalated in 2014. Prompted by a
wave of Haitian immigrants in numbers that the government viewed
as unsustainable, the Bahamas enacted immigration reform. The new
policy required that everyone living in the Islands would be requested to
hold a passport of their nationality. The deadline gave people only two
months for an application process that required presentation of birth
records, including parents’ records. Given Haiti’s inconsistent and often
inaccessible record-keeping, especially after the recent natural disasters,
many found it impossible to comply. The result was the arrest and
deportation of hundreds of people, most of whom were Haitian nationals or
Bahamians of Haitian descent.
The new laws also required schools to ensure that every child had a student
permit. No child of undocumented parents, even children who were born
in the Bahamas, could attend school without an annual $125 permit and a
passport with a residency stamp. For children born in the Bahamas, denial
of legal residence essentially rendered them stateless.
According to the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, “Human rights
groups are denouncing the decision and many feel the rules are due to antiHaitian sentiment. The Bahamas claims that they simply want to know
who is living in the country but many have been deported since November
2014. Similar scenes have played out in the Dominican Republic”
In fact, an estimated 85% of Bahamians support the new policy, even though
the government acknowledges widespread incidences of harassment and
false arrest, including the mistaken detention of Bahamian citizens with
French surnames.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti share an island, and though the DR
is not a wealthy nation, it is more prosperous than Haiti. That imbalance
has long produced a flow of Haitians into the DR and also resistance
from Dominicans who don’t want their own economic or cultural survival
compromised by a flood of immigrants that their nation doesn’t have the
capacity to accommodate.
People of Haitian descent make up by far the largest ethnic minority in
the Dominican Republic, though estimates of their numbers vary widely,
from half a million to more than a million, out of the country’s population
of 10.4 million.
In 2013, a Constitutional Court judgment retroactively deprived nearly
200,000 people of Haitian descent of their Dominican nationality, even
though they were born in the DR. Nine months later, after an international
outcry, President Danilo Medina sent a law to the Congress that created
mechanisms to restore Dominican nationality to those affected, and some
have been granted documents, but many have not. These Dominicans are
especially vulnerable because they are of Haitian descent, but not actually
Haitian, so if they are denied Dominican citizenship, they become stateless.
Another category of Haitians living in the DR are Haitian nationals
(Hatianos) who entered the DR without legal documents. Haitiano workers
have been essential to the Dominican economy, especially as laborers
in the sugar cane fields, but elites and nationalist politicians exploited
popular resentment to keep them underpaid and on society’s margins.
Now they are being forced back across the border to Haiti.
Sources: www.amnesty.org/en/countries/americas/bahamas/report-bahamas/; www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/magazine/haitians-in-exile-inthe-dominican-republic.html?_r=0;
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
GENERAL
HERITAGE, IDENTITY AND PRIDE
If you were going to tell a friend about this film, what would you say?
Papa Jah missed reuniting with his mother before she died and he is
determined not to let the same thing happen with his father. Is there
a person with whom you would like to reunite before they die, or a
place to which you feel called to return? What stops you?
Summarize the main message(s) of this film in a single sentence or
tweet. How does your summary compare to what others in the room
wrote? What do you think accounts for the similarities or differences?
Describe a moment in the film that you found particularly moving.
What was it about that scene that was especially compelling?
Was there anything in the film that “spoke truth” to you?
REVIEWING CORE CONTENT
Reflecting on returning to his birthplace, Papa Jah says, “This is my
father’s land and I love it.” What makes certain places special to us?
Throughout the film, music accompanies the journey. How does
music link people to their culture? What does the music you listen to
say about your culture?
Compare and contrast what you see in the film with the situation
faced by undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Several people in the film refer to others as being beautiful. What’s
the significance for people who are often the targets of prejudice and
discrimination to hear that people who look like them are beautiful?
In the film we meet many Haitians who are fiercely proud of their
national heritage, yet they do not live in their home country. What
prompted so many Haitians to leave?
As you listened to the Haitians’ stories and comments, did you detect
any vestiges of British European colonialism or racism? How are the
lives of the Haitians in the film shaped by this legacy?
One young woman declares that despite being born in the Bahamas,
she will continue to identify as Haitian and never as Bahamian
because, “To Bahamians I’m nothing to them, but to Haitians I’m
something.” What lessons might this insight offer to nations engaged
in trying to assimilate new immigrant or refugee populations?
Despite negative attitudes from some locals, Gerda is proud to tell
people she was born in Haiti: “You gotta be proud of who you are.”
What makes you proud of who you are?
What is it about Papa Jah that makes him such a compelling and
likeable fellow?
LIFE AS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT
IMMIGRATION POLICY
What did you learn from the film about the reasons that undocumented
immigrants are easy targets for abuse? What examples of this did you
see or hear in the film?
Sonnia describes feeling powerless to report employers who refused to
pay or who made improper sexual advances. She says that even “the
police hold you up.” In your view, what is the government’s obligation to
prevent abuse of residents, even if they are undocumented?
What did you learn from the film that deepens your thinking about the
situation of undocumented immigrants in the United States?
What was your reaction to hearing Bahamian citizens support the
government crackdown on immigrants from Haiti with comments like
“They need to go back where they’re from.”?
As one child from The Mud describes people having to hide from
immigration, others urge her to be quiet. In your experience, what’s the
impact on children of having to keep serious secrets?
Despite Dominicans and Haitians sharing an island, Sonnia says
that people insult her for being Haitian, “I’m enduring rejections,
humiliations…they make you feel inferior to others…We are neighbors.
Why can’t we get along?” How would you answer her question? What’s
at stake for native populations? Why do many citizens separate
themselves from immigrants and make sure that everyone recognizes
the distinction between natives and newcomers?
Rose believes that the Bahamians will suffer when they deport the
Haitians because “Haitians make The Bahamas money come in…” She
notes that Haitians do the work that Bahamians won’t, like farming and
collecting garbage. How does this parallel the experiences of immigrants
in wealthy nations, like the U.S.?
Little Ants has never been to Haiti and doesn’t think he could survive
there: “People who’ve been born and grow up in Haiti can’t survive in
Haiti, so you think I could survive in Haiti?” Should governments be
prohibited from deporting people that they know have little or no chance
of surviving? Why or why not?
Gerda Danny raises the issue of deporting children born and raised in
the Bahamas “to another country they know nothing about.” Do you
think countries should be required to grant automatic citizenship to
children born within their borders?
Sonnia’s son is being refused entrance to school because he’s the son
of an undocumented Haitian immigrant. What are the pros and cons
of allowing all children to attend school, irrespective of the citizenship
status of their parents?
What did it feel like to watch the reunion between Papa Jah and his
father? In your view, should policies that make it difficult or impossible
for undocumented immigrants to visit family be changed, or do
immigrants give up that right when they enter another country without
legal permission?
The man the Dominican Republic’s Little Haiti observes that the rich
and powerful don’t help the poor “because they want everything for
themselves.” Who should be held
accountable for policies in Haiti,
the Bahamas, and the Dominican
Republic that make it extremely
difficult for Haitians to work their way
out of poverty?
Despite living in the Bahamas for 40+
years, the government considers Papa
Jah’s official status to be “temporary.”
Who benefits from keeping Papa Jah
or his children on temporary status
rather than granting them permanent
residence or citizenship?
FILMMAKING CHOICES
How does the film compare to other media images you’ve seen of
Haitian refugees?
What major questions were the filmmakers trying to answer and how
do you know? What were the filmmakers’ answers? Did you agree with
those answers? Why or Why not?
If you could ask the filmmakers one question, what would you want to
know?
What’s the significance of the film’s title?
What emotions did the film evoke? What filmmaking techniques
contributed to that reaction?
What message(s) about life in the Caribbean were conveyed by the
film’s shot selection, pacing, editing, and music?
Was there anything about the construction of the film that you found to
be particularly notable or memorable?
WRAP-UP
Complete this sentence: I think Papa Jah’s story (or Sonnia’s or Rose’s)
is important (or interesting or inspiring) because…
Is there one thing you learned from this film that you wish everybody
knew? What do you think would change if everyone knew it?
Fill in the blanks:
One thing I learned from this screening is _______________.
Now that I know, I will ___________________.
RESOURCES
MY FATHER’S LAND
www.facebook.com/myfathersland
AFROPOP: THE ULTIMATE CULTURAL EXCHANGE
www.AfroPop.tv
www.blackpublicmedia.org
STATUS OF HAITIAN MIGRANTS
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti
www.ijdh.org/2015/01/topics/immigration-topics/immigrationrules-in-bahamas-sweep-up-haitians/ - A link to a 2015 New York
Times report on deportation of Haitians from the Bahamas
Amnesty International
www.amnesty.org/en/countries/americas/bahamas/reportbahamas/ - The 2015/2016 review of the status of human rights
in the Bahamas includes documentation of mistreatment of
undocumented residents from Haiti
Human Rights Delegation Report on Haitians in the Bahamas, June
1994
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/diana/haitibahama.asp - Gives a sense
of ongoing treatment of Haitians in the Bahamas
New York Times: “In Exile”
www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/magazine/haitians-in-exile-inthe-dominican-republic.html?_r=0 – Overview feature on the
treatment of Haitians and their descendants in the Dominican
Republic
GENERAL
Government of Bahamas Department of Immigration
www.bahamas.gov.bs/immigration - official government policies on
citizenship, residency and work requirements
Grand Bahamas Human Rights Association
http://gbhrabahamas.wixsite.com/human-rights - works on a range
of human rights issues, including protecting Haitian Bahamians from
discrimination. Also see www.facebook.com/pages/Human-RightsBahamas/877095822320673
Embassy of Haiti (in U.S.)
www.haiti.org - includes general information on Haiti and links to
official government websites
CIA World Factbook
www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/
ha.html - information on Haiti from a U.S. government perspective
SEASON 9
An American Ascent
Intore
My Father’s Land
Black Out
Pangaea
Omo Child: The River and the Bush