Beyond the testimony on the history of Haiti, the French director François Marthouret, wished put to the screen, the universal character of the novel "Bicentenaire" of Lyonel Trouillot in his film entitled "Dimanche 4 janvier" (Sunday, January 4). "I liked the universal dimension of this novel, on this fate, this fatalism and the revolt of a youth. It is in this case of hat of Haiti in a delicate political context, but this story in my eyes can speak at all."

The filming of this movie of nearly 2 million euros, ended in Haiti last December, after 32 days of filming including 15 in Haiti. It now remains about 4 months of post-production work to get the final version of the movie, which should be ready in late April 2014.

François Marthouret explains "the majority of actors are Haitian, first because in the movie we speak the Creole of Haiti and that is a little different from Guadeloupean Creole. It is also because these young Haitians are impregnated by their history. The two main actors are also Haitians, James (Star) Pierre that I discovered at Pointe-à-Pitre and Emmanuel Vilsaint, that I met in Paris."

The film is co-produced with the WFE (Belgian Society of film production), with the support of France 3 Cinema, Guadeloupe region and the Haitian Ministry of Culture. Initially estimated at 3 million euros, this is the first film to benefit from regional aid funds and also the first to be shot between Guadeloupe and Haiti. "We had to find tricks to reduce the budget of about one million. Without the efforts of Lyonel Trouillot, of his friends and without the official support we had in Haiti in terms of logistics, we could not have shot on the spot. Without the financial contribution of 300,000 euros from the Guadeloupe Region ((core funding of the film), we could not have made this film," indicated François Marthouret.

Synospis of "Dimanche 4 janvier" :

It is the day of the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence. President Aristide prepares the celebration of this major event, his supporters are mobilized, but for months, students and popular demonstrations protesting against the dictatorship, the confrontation is likely, the permanent tension. Two brothers, Lucien, 22, and Ézechiel aka Little Joe, 15, the two heroes of the film will take different life paths. One, Lucien went to the demonstration in downtown Port-au-Prince, the capital, the other Little Joe, is recruited by the chimeras, a paramilitary group that was raging at that time in Haiti. The event will turn into a riot and will be dispersed in the violence, sealing the fate of the two brothers.

S/ HaitiLibre