Bitter Cane

1983· 76 min★ 7.9· Documentary

Filmed in secret under the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier, this incisive documentary explores the effects of foreign exploitation and oppression on Haitian society. From peasant coffee farms in the rugged tropical mountains to steamy U.S.-leased or -owned sweatshops in the teeming capital, the film takes the viewer on a journey through Haitian history to a deeper grasp of the country’s political economy. After the fall of Duvalier’s regime in 1986, students and popular organizations projected the film on movie screens, walls, and bedsheets in Haiti’s countryside and cities to raise political consciousness and understanding of the difficult anti-imperialist struggle that lay ahead.

Director: Ben Dupuy, Kim Ives