Known as the Pearl of the Antilles, Haiti was the first black republic to win its independence from the French in an uprising by slaves. Two hundred years after the revolt, Haiti＇s children, the most vulnerable popul...Known as the Pearl of the Antilles, Haiti was the first black republic to win its independence from the French in an uprising by slaves. Two hundred years after the revolt, Haiti＇s children, the most vulnerable population of the nation, endure modem day slavery. Extreme social, economic, and political instability have led the country to adopt and accept this practice. This qualitative study reveals audiences＇ narratives of their experiences as guardians of Restaveks and their reflections after watching the documentary film Blooming Hope （2010）. The documentary features Tata Dumasie, an artisan woman who narrates her life story growing up as a Restavek. This ethnographic research concludes that documentary films serve as tools for popular education. Furthermore, narrative discourse can reconstruct identities of former Restaveks and positively transform guardians＇ perceptions of the Restavek phenomenon.展开更多
文摘Known as the Pearl of the Antilles, Haiti was the first black republic to win its independence from the French in an uprising by slaves. Two hundred years after the revolt, Haiti＇s children, the most vulnerable population of the nation, endure modem day slavery. Extreme social, economic, and political instability have led the country to adopt and accept this practice. This qualitative study reveals audiences＇ narratives of their experiences as guardians of Restaveks and their reflections after watching the documentary film Blooming Hope （2010）. The documentary features Tata Dumasie, an artisan woman who narrates her life story growing up as a Restavek. This ethnographic research concludes that documentary films serve as tools for popular education. Furthermore, narrative discourse can reconstruct identities of former Restaveks and positively transform guardians＇ perceptions of the Restavek phenomenon.
