Ghosts of Cite Soleil (2006)

I noticed this film was showing at a local university the day after I returned from Haiti. It offers a bleak portrait of Haiti’s worst slum by following two gang leaders during the chaos of 2004. The documentary tries hard to make you feel sorry for these gang leaders, which is impossible. Don’t get me wrong my heart breaks for all the innocent people of Cite Soleil, but these men were murderers (both are dead now). You can say their environment made them into what they were, but people always have a choice. I have friends who have come from similar environments and they have made better choices. Okay, back to the film. It is brutal, but I feel honest in most ways. I must admit I didn’t care for the style in which it was shot, but the content outweighs it. All in all a very good look at a confusing time in Haiti’s history.