Diversity and inclusion are the watchwords of Carla Beauvais, who has been the Black History Month Roundtable coordinator for more than 10 years. And she was a co-founder of the Dynasty Foundation, organizer of the eponymous gala, the 7the Edition of the culture gala on 1ah April. headlights…
Carla, what is your earliest memory of going to a cinema?
My parents didn’t have time to take us to the cinema as a family. The only thing I remember is the first time I went to the cinema alone. I must have been around 16 or 17 and was super happy paying with my own money, getting my popcorn etc. But that’s all I remember! I don’t remember the movie I saw.
What was your first landmark film?
But I remember that! It’s not a movie, it’s a series and it’s about roots. I saw her very, very young. I was traumatized for life. Yes, we hear about slavery in school textbooks, but seeing that suffering on bodies that look like me… It scarred me for life. I also remember the big existential discussions I had with my father about ‘why? Why are they doing this to us?” And that opened the door for all kinds of discussions about the history of Haiti since I’m a Haitian.
And a newer one?
What shocks me the most are films that remind me of my own existence. I can connect to the suffering I see on screen, the films that have shaped me the most are always of that magnitude. A more recent film is Apatrides by Michèle Stephenson, released in 2020. It’s an NFB documentary and the director follows a Dominican lawyer fighting for the recognition of the rights of Haitians working in the Bateyes [NDLR: les campements des coupeurs de canne à sucre] in the Dominican Republic.
An actor or actress whose talent fascinates you?
Denzel Washington! I think he has a unique ability to portray his characters.
Who was your first “kick” in the cinema?
My God! I hesitated for a long time, but I have to face the facts, like many young girls of my generation, it was Patrick Swayze in Danse lascive (Dirty Dancing). I think the final blow was when he played My Ghost of Love! He was a charismatic actor who had something special, I love to dance and Lascivious Dance is one of my cult films.
The soundtrack you listened to when you were young?
For me it was the soundtrack to Kraked Unit for Paris by Cédric Klapisch. I’ve heard it online at least 100,000 times. Kraked Unit have been in almost all of Klapisch’s films and this group has a very special way of arranging. I really abused for the Paris soundtrack.
If anything were possible, a dead or alive director that you would like to invite to the cinema? And what would you see?
It wouldn’t just be going to the cinema, I’d also like to meet Raoul Peck, who, among other things, directed the Oscar-nominated documentary I’m not your nigger. Raoul Peck is a great Haitian filmmaker. He has a very special way of talking about history without propaganda, he always looks inside.