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In Haiti, in the time of cholera and street gangs, artists use the performing arts as a mode of resistance.
Born after the Duvalier dictatorship, these young people have lived through 19 presidents, 36 prime ministers, eight coups d’état, three foreign military interventions, and two major earthquakes. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the country has been abandoned to the criminality of gangs who terrorize the population. Still, these artists are ready to brave any danger to get on stage.
They gravitate to a unique creative space in Haiti and the Caribbean: the Festival 4 Chemins, directed by Guy Régis Jr., and held every year in Port-au-Prince — at all costs. In a verdant urban lakou with a flowing river, theatre comes to life for ten days. Youyou, the great Haitian actor, guides us through this anthill as the artists rehearse, prepare, and take to the stage. A microcosm of life in Haiti bustles with activity: the janitor, the cook, the gardener. The sounds of machine-gun fire, explosions, motorcycles, and shrill sirens mingle with birdsong and the voices of the actors. Reality and fiction rub shoulders — and merge.
In this space of freedom, another face of Haiti emerges: not just that of a country tormented by a cruel history, but one dreamed up by artists who rely on their talent to survive and to (re)build a future for themselves and their country. History, their own stories, poetry, and performances are all intertwined. In Haiti, theatre is everywhere: in the street, in vodou, in politics. Through their art, between Haitian mythology and harsh reality, they will tell us At All Kosts. It is a story of the resistance and courage of a people.
Filmmaker Biography(ies):
Joseph Hillel was born in Port-au-Prince and lives in Montréal. He writes, directs, and produces documentary films. Among these, Regular or Super offers insights into the work of architect Mies van der Rohe, while Karsh Is History presents a portrait of the renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh. Ayiti Toma is a journey into Haiti’s rich history and culture. City Dreamers introduces us to four great architects— inspiring pioneers. His most recent feature-length documentary, At All Kosts, is his second film shot in Haiti.
LINE PRODUCTION Carmen Garcia
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Qu4tre par Quatre Films
In Haiti, in the time of cholera and street gangs, artists use the performing arts as a mode of resistance.
Born after the Duvalier dictatorship, these young people have lived through 19 presidents, 36 prime ministers, eight coups d’état, three foreign military interventions, and two major earthquakes. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the country has been abandoned to the criminality of gangs who terrorize the population. Still, these artists are ready to brave any danger to get on stage.
They gravitate to a unique creative space in Haiti and the Caribbean: the Festival 4 Chemins, directed by Guy Régis Jr., and held every year in Port-au-Prince — at all costs. In a verdant urban lakou with a flowing river, theatre comes to life for ten days. Youyou, the great Haitian actor, guides us through this anthill as the artists rehearse, prepare, and take to the stage. A microcosm of life in Haiti bustles with activity: the janitor, the cook, the gardener. The sounds of machine-gun fire, explosions, motorcycles, and shrill sirens mingle with birdsong and the voices of the actors. Reality and fiction rub shoulders — and merge.
In this space of freedom, another face of Haiti emerges: not just that of a country tormented by a cruel history, but one dreamed up by artists who rely on their talent to survive and to (re)build a future for themselves and their country. History, their own stories, poetry, and performances are all intertwined. In Haiti, theatre is everywhere: in the street, in vodou, in politics. Through their art, between Haitian mythology and harsh reality, they will tell us At All Kosts. It is a story of the resistance and courage of a people.
Filmmaker Biography(ies):
Joseph Hillel was born in Port-au-Prince and lives in Montréal. He writes, directs, and produces documentary films. Among these, Regular or Super offers insights into the work of architect Mies van der Rohe, while Karsh Is History presents a portrait of the renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh. Ayiti Toma is a journey into Haiti’s rich history and culture. City Dreamers introduces us to four great architects— inspiring pioneers. His most recent feature-length documentary, At All Kosts, is his second film shot in Haiti.
LINE PRODUCTION Carmen Garcia
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Qu4tre par Quatre Films
