The International House hosted a coffeehouse paired with a screening of “Madan Sara” on Thursday, Nov. 30. The event was hosted by Hans Goertz, a project director for UT Institute of Agriculture’s Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture.
Coffee was provided by Abel “Belo” Charles and Beverly Linkous from Seed Coffee Co. This company located in Knoxville derives from Seed International, which focuses on buying Haitian coffee beans and roasting them in coffee shops.
While doing mission work in Haiti, Linkous met Charles, who taught entrepreneurship to young children. Charles came to the United States with Linkous to work at Seed Coffee Co. and is enriched in the Knoxville Haitian community. He has not been able to go back to Haiti yet, but he is happy for more Haitians to move to Knoxville. Charles has even used the coffee shop as a meeting place for the Haitians in Knoxville to meet.
Charles discussed how Haiti has seen a tremendous earthquake, a corrupt government, a presidential assassination and gangs in the streets. This, in the past 10 years, has broken up what centralization that Haiti had, which is what stopped some Haitians from sending products or even leaving and entering Haiti.
“Madan Sara” is a film produced by Etant Dupain. Those at the International House screening were able to speak to its co-executive producer, Lulaine Childs, who was present at the event. Childs shared that the movie was meant to depict the positive stories of Haiti, as they are not covered well in public news.
“Madan Sara” is a term used to describe the Haitian women who lead the markets. They work hard on their products and must travel everywhere in Haiti.
Madan Sara Clotide Achille shared that when she was young, she left school so she could start her own business. She realized that you must work from start to finish when you become a Madan Sara since family and friends become dependent on what you get paid.
Patricia Arty is a chef who works at her restaurant in Haiti called Le P’tit Creux, and she loves to source from locals. She spoke about how Madan Saras are the backbone of the economy. She shared one story of a Madan Sara who was just starting, and soon they had a loyal trading partner.
Monique Metellus is a 24 year old who has worked with her mother since school. She has the biggest smile on her face in the film.
“I am always ready to do it because I love my work,” Metellus said.
Later in the film, there is market that burns, and Madan Sara watch their hard-earned money and work go up in flames. One Madan Sara in the film discussed how this destruction caused her friends and family to starve for a while.
The burning of markets led to conflicts between armed gangs due to food and financial insecurity, which has led to younger generations leaving Haiti to avoid conflict.
Haiti is said to run on four corners in the economy, and one of them is the women. Women are at the center of the rebuilding of Haiti, as the trade of a Madan Sara has remained for 200 years. In the film, society has been built by the informal economy of the Madan Sara.
“Madan Sara are essential — beautiful and important,” Achille said. “Not everyone can do what we do.”
The “Madan Sara” film started in production in 2014, and Childs joined the product when finding Dupain’s trailer. Childs was there for the shooting of the film that lasted 2 1/2 years and said he was proud of the debut in Haiti.
At the first screening, Childs said younger Haitians showed up but never understood the backstory of Madan Sara. Childs was happy to discuss his knowledge after they viewed the film, as it reminded him of his motivation regarding why he joined the film in the first place.
Childs grew up in Brooklyn, and his mother originated from Haiti. He grew up in a neighborhood where there were women selling on the street without a shop, and he was interested when he learned of the culture of Haiti. Details like the music, pacing and even filming in all-Haitian Creole were important to everyone on the project.
One thing Childs said he wished he did was get the market committee tied to city hall to respond, but it could not. When the movie started screenings, the government made it difficult for the movie to come out. Childs is happy for the film to be at least streaming across the country and even internationally on college campuses or Haitian communities.
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