"17 Year Locust" is a story about an unlikely crossing of paths between two people living very different lives, their only common connection being the French language. The short film follows René, a Haitian immigrant, who moves to a French-speaking city in Louisiana in search of a better life for him and his pregnant wife. When Odile, an elderly woman in hospice care, demands a French-speaking caregiver, the staffing agency reaches out to René, who is the only option they have. After intense conversation, Odile learns from René that he intends to abandon his own culture and traditions in exchange for becoming “a true citizen”, an American. It’s only then she feels brave to open up and share her own story of American assimilation and the great cost that came with it.

This film is funded by #CreateLouisiana's French Culture Film Grant.