Film Screening:

When the Drum is Beating
(Whitney Dow, 2011, 84 min, USA/Haiti, in French, Haitian Creole and English with Subtitles, Color, DVD)

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. The passion, commitment, dreams, and joy of Septentrional's musicians reveal the indomitable Haitian spirit. The band embodies a particular Haitian trait: the ability to find beauty in places of darkness. Through its sweeping historical narrative and infectious music, When the Drum is Beating captures the nuances and complexities that make Haiti one of the most fascinating countries in the hemisphere.

In his exploration of the "Haitian people's band," Whitney Dow delivers a humane and profound understanding of the pride, resistance, despair and rich artistic tradition of Haiti itself.

Cost: Free and Open to the Public!

Sponsors: The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Duke-UNC Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image (AMI)