Documentary on Haitian-Bahamians Now Available

About a month ago, the documentary Can You See Us? premiered at the Hub here in Nassau. Produced by the Bahamas Human Rights Network, this film seeks to show the problems faced by Bahamian-born persons of Haitian descent living in the shantytowns known as the Mud and the Pea on the fringes of Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Clint Kemp, the BHRN member who headed up the project, has explained that the purpose of the film is not to be politically accurate (and viewers knowledgeable about the Haitian situation in the Bahamas will readily identify a number of glaring factual errors) but, rather, to give an artistic portrayal of the lives and challenges faced by a growing population of persons who are functionally stateless. The situation in Abaco--as portrayed in the documentary--is similar to that faced by children of Haitian migrants throughout the Bahamian archipelago and, to a lesser extent, children of immigrants from other countries as well. In short, this film is a good starting point for discussion about the nature of immigration and related human rights issues in the Bahamas and should be seen by all who wish to engage these issues constructively.

For those who wish to see the film now, I am pleased to announce that it is now available on YouTube and, for the convenience of my readers, I have embedded it below. (Thanks to Nicolette Bethel for bringing this to my attention!) For those who are interested in showing this film to their youth group, church, or other organization, I would encourage you to contact the Bahamas Human Rights Network to set something up.

Part I

Part II

Part III