Les Âmes Bossales

The feature-length documentary Les Âmes Bossales emerged from an encounter between the director François Perlier and the Haitian actor and radio presenter Foukifoura, and portrays the culture and popular struggle in Haiti. A whirlwind of sound and imagery, the film is an intense experience that reveals the richness and beauty of the rebellious 'soul' of a people struggling to preserve their dignity in the face of daily violence and neo-colonialism. The 'Bossales' were the African slaves who emerged victorious from Haiti's war of independence. The term has come to be pejorative, synonymous with 'savage' or 'brutal'. It is now reclaimed by those who rise up against inequality, corruption and neo-colonialism, like the film's protagonists. They are Charlotte, a human rights activist; Foukifoura, a satirical columnist; Édris, a videographer documenting the uprising; Michou, a factory worker struggling to survive; and Ramoncite, an enigmatic voodoo priest. The film is a French-Haitian production from 2024 and runs about 80 minutes. It is spoken in French and Haitian Creole with French subtitles. This is a unique screening in the presence of the director.