Watch the film below
Five years ago we set out to make a documentary about music education in Haiti. We never imagined the places it would go or the impact it would have on communities across the U.S. and for the Haitian people. We were inspired by the musicians and teachers we met while volunteering in music schools around Haiti and the ways in which Haitians were using music education as a vehicle for social change.
In December 2009 we started interviewing Haitians at the Holy Trinity Music School during our Lawrence University winter break. We asked questions like, “What does music mean to you?” and “How does music education impact your community?” The answers we received were poignant, articulate, and proved that something very special was happening with music in this country.
When we learned of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, our first concerns were of course for our Haitian friends, students, and fellow teachers. Despite the difficult nature, we knew that the film could play an important role in helping non-Haitians better understand what Haitian people were going through. As we are seeing today, mainstream media focuses on the sensational in order to help maintain the systems in place that oppress minorities. Music is one way to help us see beyond these systems and to imagine a better world.
Kenbe La ~ Hold On has been screened at over 50 venues around the U.S. and Haiti. Some of the most well-attended and productive screenings have happened in unexpected places, including churches, classrooms, and living rooms. From a screening on the side of a house in a backyard in Seattle, to a screening for 200 Haitians at a music camp in Leogane during a low-grade hurricane, to our most recent screening at the Governor’s School for the Arts in South Carolina, people have used this film to spark conversations on a variety of important topics. Though the film’s main concern is music education, it also explores themes of community, leadership, social justice, ethical representation and disaster politics. These themes are driven primarily by Haitian voices.
Our experience at the Governor’s School was a renewed call to action, to continue to screen the film as widely as possible. We would like to announce that Kenbe La ~ Hold on is now available for free online and we invite you to continue supporting theses Haitian’s dedication to music education by viewing and sharing this film. We also ask that you consider making a donation to BLUME-Haiti to support the ongoing efforts to support Haitians who are interested in music as a tool for social change. Fostering creativity supports social change and helps create leaders who can imagine a world for everyone.
In December 2009 we started interviewing Haitians at the Holy Trinity Music School during our Lawrence University winter break. We asked questions like, “What does music mean to you?” and “How does music education impact your community?” The answers we received were poignant, articulate, and proved that something very special was happening with music in this country.
When we learned of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, our first concerns were of course for our Haitian friends, students, and fellow teachers. Despite the difficult nature, we knew that the film could play an important role in helping non-Haitians better understand what Haitian people were going through. As we are seeing today, mainstream media focuses on the sensational in order to help maintain the systems in place that oppress minorities. Music is one way to help us see beyond these systems and to imagine a better world.
Kenbe La ~ Hold On has been screened at over 50 venues around the U.S. and Haiti. Some of the most well-attended and productive screenings have happened in unexpected places, including churches, classrooms, and living rooms. From a screening on the side of a house in a backyard in Seattle, to a screening for 200 Haitians at a music camp in Leogane during a low-grade hurricane, to our most recent screening at the Governor’s School for the Arts in South Carolina, people have used this film to spark conversations on a variety of important topics. Though the film’s main concern is music education, it also explores themes of community, leadership, social justice, ethical representation and disaster politics. These themes are driven primarily by Haitian voices.
Our experience at the Governor’s School was a renewed call to action, to continue to screen the film as widely as possible. We would like to announce that Kenbe La ~ Hold on is now available for free online and we invite you to continue supporting theses Haitian’s dedication to music education by viewing and sharing this film. We also ask that you consider making a donation to BLUME-Haiti to support the ongoing efforts to support Haitians who are interested in music as a tool for social change. Fostering creativity supports social change and helps create leaders who can imagine a world for everyone.
2014
Carolyn and Stephen will be Artists in Residence at the South Carolina Govenor's School for the Arts and Humanities on October 29th through October 31st. They will present their documentary film, Kenbe La ~ Hold On and hold conversations on topics around arts education in Haiti, ethical storytelling, documentary frameworks and making art impactful in local communities.
2012 End of the Year Update
It’s been another year and we are delighted to summarize it for you to see all the wonderful things we can accomplish together. Although we (Carolyn and Stephen) no longer live in the same state (Carolyn being in Appleton, Wisconsin and Stephen in Seattle, WA) we’ve continued to accomplish our goals with Kenbe La ~ Hold On and Bel Son Productions. Just one year ago we asked you to make a small donation to support the distribution of Kenbe La ~ Hold On. We raised $1,800. Not bad for an annual overhead cost… Check out all we accomplished below!
2012
January
-Bel Son Productions raised $1.800 through a Kickstarter campaign (thank you!)
-Bel Son Productions partnered with Film Marketing Services
February
-Kenbe La ~ Hold On screened at the University of Chicago
-Carolyn traveled to Foyer Maurice Sixto in Haiti to bring over 30 string instruments. Read more about her experience here.
March
- Carolyn presented Kenbe La~ Hold On in Milwaukee, WI at the Dreams and Reality film festival.
April
-Stephen presented Kenbe La ~ Hold On to a small crowd of young artists and entrepreneurs in Seattle, WA
-Carolyn presented Kenbe La ~ Hold On with the UCC to help raise $270 for music scholarships for students at Foyer Maurice Sixto
June
-Kenbe La ~ Hold On became available online on IndieFlix. Check it out here!
-Carolyn returned to Haiti to teach and film in Haiti and Foyer Maurice Sixto. Thanks to some generous donations she was able to add a snare drum, xylophone, trombone, and a few guitar strings to their stock of instruments and 9 cellos (Thank you Stringworks!).
July
-Bel Son Productions announced collaboration with Seattle based artist and journalist, Christine Beaderstadt to begin a multimedia project which examines Indian Women’s dress and the effects of Globalization. More information about Time and Place here.
August
Bel Son Productions began an Indiegogo campaign for Time and Place: Indian Women’s Ornamentation and Globalization
September
-Carolyn produced a short film for the “This is Lawrence” video series in which the viewer meets Gessoit and follow his incredible journey from Jacmel, Haiti, to Appleton, Wisconsin. View the film here.
-Carolyn presented Kenbe La ~ Hold On at Lawrence University for the Haiti Symposium
-The University of Notre Dame has purchased a copy of Kenbe La ~ Hold On for their university library.
-The Indiegogo campaign for Time and Place raised nearly $6,000 through online support and in-kind donations (over half of our goal)
October
-Stephen and Christine began research and interviewing Indian women living in Seattle. Check out their interviews with Nazleen and Neha.
November
-Excerpts of Kenbe La were shown at Crossing Borders Music Collective's November 30th concert at Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL
December
-Kenbe La ~ Hold On is being updated for HD viewing online and will soon be available through the online viewing site, Roku.
Thanks again and have a happy holidays!
Carolyn and Stephen
2012
January
-Bel Son Productions raised $1.800 through a Kickstarter campaign (thank you!)
-Bel Son Productions partnered with Film Marketing Services
February
-Kenbe La ~ Hold On screened at the University of Chicago
-Carolyn traveled to Foyer Maurice Sixto in Haiti to bring over 30 string instruments. Read more about her experience here.
March
- Carolyn presented Kenbe La~ Hold On in Milwaukee, WI at the Dreams and Reality film festival.
April
-Stephen presented Kenbe La ~ Hold On to a small crowd of young artists and entrepreneurs in Seattle, WA
-Carolyn presented Kenbe La ~ Hold On with the UCC to help raise $270 for music scholarships for students at Foyer Maurice Sixto
June
-Kenbe La ~ Hold On became available online on IndieFlix. Check it out here!
-Carolyn returned to Haiti to teach and film in Haiti and Foyer Maurice Sixto. Thanks to some generous donations she was able to add a snare drum, xylophone, trombone, and a few guitar strings to their stock of instruments and 9 cellos (Thank you Stringworks!).
July
-Bel Son Productions announced collaboration with Seattle based artist and journalist, Christine Beaderstadt to begin a multimedia project which examines Indian Women’s dress and the effects of Globalization. More information about Time and Place here.
August
Bel Son Productions began an Indiegogo campaign for Time and Place: Indian Women’s Ornamentation and Globalization
September
-Carolyn produced a short film for the “This is Lawrence” video series in which the viewer meets Gessoit and follow his incredible journey from Jacmel, Haiti, to Appleton, Wisconsin. View the film here.
-Carolyn presented Kenbe La ~ Hold On at Lawrence University for the Haiti Symposium
-The University of Notre Dame has purchased a copy of Kenbe La ~ Hold On for their university library.
-The Indiegogo campaign for Time and Place raised nearly $6,000 through online support and in-kind donations (over half of our goal)
October
-Stephen and Christine began research and interviewing Indian women living in Seattle. Check out their interviews with Nazleen and Neha.
November
-Excerpts of Kenbe La were shown at Crossing Borders Music Collective's November 30th concert at Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL
December
-Kenbe La ~ Hold On is being updated for HD viewing online and will soon be available through the online viewing site, Roku.
Thanks again and have a happy holidays!
Carolyn and Stephen
Time and Place:
Indian Women's Ornamentation and Globalization
A series of short films and photographs that document Indian women's adornment traditions and how they are changing today.
Check out our newest project!