To some, rara music represents all that is negative and unwholesome about Haitian culture, with links to Vodou practices, especially animal sacrifice. To others, rara is “the mouthpiece of the poor”, a form of music born out of the hardship of a people, Haiti’s blues. This film is the story of Dja-Rara, a top rara band from Brooklyn, from its spontaneous formation in the early 1990s—synchronous with Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s first presidency—to the present day, through changes in its line-up and sound, mirroring the political changes back in Haiti. Featuring excellent archival and often poignant observational footage, "The Other Side of the Water" is a finely crafted celebration of the spirit of a people who persevere in keeping their culture alive, though they happen to be separated from that culture, lot bo dlo—on the other side of the water.
Medium Length (62mins) Musical, , Drama | Haiti, United States of America
English, Haitian Creole
Jeremy Robins
Magali Damas
Jeremy Robins
Magali Damas