NC Latin American Film Festival: When the Drum is Beating

WED. 10|10. Duke. Griffith Film Theater. 7pmWhen the Drum is Beating. Whitney Dow (USA/Haiti. 2011). 84 min.In Haiti, there is one band that¿s seen it all: Septentrional. For six decades, this 20-piece band has been making beautiful music ¿ a fusion of Cuban big band and Haitian vodou beats ¿ that turns out thousands of fans each time it plays. At the age of 62, Septentrional has already survived 12 years longer than the expected Haitian lifespan. Led by 80-year-old ¿Maestro¿ Ulrich Pierre Louis, its trumpeters, drummers, sax players, and guitarists have played through dictatorships, natural disasters, coup d'états, and chaos, navigating the ups and downs of Haiti¿s history. The band embodies a particular Haitian trait: the ability to find beauty in places of darkness. How did the country go from being the first free black republic with a huge wealth of natural resources to a shattered nation unable to support its citizens? How did the hope created by the rise of Jean Bertrand Aristide and the despair that followed the coup that drove him from power contribute to the inevitability of the January 2010 earthquake¿s horrific death toll? The passion, commitment, dreams, and joy of Septentrional¿s musicians reveal the indomitable Haitian spirit. With a sweeping narrative and infectious music, this is the story of not just one band's survival, but also Haiti's survival.Part of the Duke Haitian Film Series