Haitian crime caper ‘Kafou’ screens in Miami with a director discussion following
“Kafou” is a dark comedy about choices and about crossroads. But the Haiti-made film that made its South Florida debut three years ago also shows how talented Haitian filmmakers are contributing to the conversation about a country in crisis — one that doesn’t even have a working movie theater.
The Haitian crime caper is being screened for free at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Miami’s Cosford Cinema in Coral Gables with an in-person discussion with the movie’s director and co-writer, Bruno Mourral, afterward.
“Considering all of the issues facing Haiti today, the idea that filmmakers can actually make a movie there is astounding to me,” said Rene Rodriguez, manager of the Bill Cosford Cinema. “I can’t wait to watch it and listen to the filmmakers talk about it.”
Though it was released in 2017, the film and the issues it raises as the two main protagonists, Doc and Zoe, take a riotous ride through the streets of Port-au-Prince, remain relevant today. The film touches on the theme of kidnapping, which has become endemic in Haiti. Last year the issue hit home for the filmmakers as they were, ironically enough, filming a follow-up to “Kafou” focused on the very phenomenon.
While returning from a shoot in the southeastern port city of Jacmel, Mourral and his co-writer Gilbert Mirambeau Jr. found themselves in the middle of a real life gambit and negotiations after a gang abducted three members of their crew: two Dominican filmmakers and their Haitian translator, along with a generator. All were part of a 17-car convoy that was headed back to Port-au-Prince. The kidnapping happened while crossing the neighborhood of Martissant at the southern entrance of the Haitian capital.
The group was eventually released, but the irony of having a kidnapping while making a film about kidnapping wasn’t lost on anyone — nor did the incident dissuade the filmmakers, who are currently in post-production on the film, which will reintroduce viewers to Doc and Zoe.
“We are filmmakers and we have to raise awareness through our films,” said Mirambeau Jr. “We don’t want lovey-dovey comedies especially in Haiti where the government is not doing anything and the citizens are on their own.”
Titled “Kidnapping Inc.,” for now, the yet-to-be-released film “is one of these conversations we have to have as a society,” Mirambeau Jr. said.
And so is “Kafou.”
In the film, Doc and Zoe are hired by a corrupt cop to make a delivery but with specific instructions: Do not stop the car, do not roll down the windows, do not open the trunk.
Along the way, they come across several crossroads and at each they are confronted with a choice to make.
“When you look at ‘Kafou,’ it represents several things,” said Mourral. “It’s a representation of two Haitians who are completely lost and are being used practically by the power of the State. ... There is no one else really in the film, it’s just them who are forced to find a solution to their problems. There is also a question about choices in ‘Kafou.’ ”
The film examines many things about life in Haiti today, the country’s kidnapping plague, the role of Vodou and corruption, and frustrated communities taking justice into their own hands.
“We want to stimulate a conversation,” Mourral said about how he hopes the film will be received Friday. “We want to have people reflect about a country that isn’t functioning and why it’s not working.”
The screening of “Kafou” will take place at 7 p.m. Friday at Cosford Cinema, 5030 Brunson Dr., Coral Gables 33146. The screening is free, but registration is required, https://cosfordcinema.com/event/kafou/. It will be followed by a discussion with Mourral hosted by Jacqueline Charles, the Miami Herald’s Haiti/Caribbean Correspondent.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 3:44 PM.
