IDFA: At All Kosts - Joseph Hillel

Vote for pain and struggle

An ensemble of actors is rehearsing for an upcoming theatre festival. On the festival grounds in the middle of a residential area, they practice performances and texts and put together sets. But this setting is anything but ordinary, as is evident from the entrance gate with armed guards. Festival 4 Chemins is being held in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Gangs are active in the city; machine gun shots sound in the distance. The country, ravaged by poverty, unrest and natural disasters, is emptying out, as young, progressive Haitians leave en masse. But these theatre makers are staying – who else would guard the fort?

'An act of resistance', according to director and festival director Guy Régis jr. 'It is the last bastion for reflection, art and culture'. In their performances, the performers give a voice to the pain and struggle of the population. With this festival, they want to offer reflection and beauty in the midst of the chaos at all costs. That is why they stay, despite those machine gun shots.