Ghosts of Cité Soleil

Jean-Bertrand Aristide rose to power in Haiti as the champion of the poor, but in order to maintain that power he employed the Chimères (ghosts), armed gangs from the Cité Soleil slums. This documentary shows the fall of Aristide in 2004 and its aftermath from inside the Chimères, focussing on two brothers, Haitian 2pac and Bily, who style themselves as gangsta rap heroes. Rapper Wyclef Jean produced the film and appears in it as a kind of aspirational model for the Haitian underclass. This is an enthralling portrait of the ways politics plays out on the streets of impoverished countries, dominated by young men with illusions of power, who are also conscious that they won’t be living long lives. There is an unmistakable sense of how captivating violence and the prospect of death can be, seen from those under its thrall (and here you would have to include the filmmakers.) Director Asger Leth, the son of Jørgen Leth of The Five Obstructions fame, has made a film sure to spark vigorous debates about the ethics of engagement with documentary subjects under extreme conditions. A documentary you will not forget quickly.

An amazing film.

Harmony Korine