Toppa Top 10: Top Caribbean Culture Documentaries

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April 19, 2011


7. Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2006)

This somewhat exploitational yet gripping film, about two brothers who find themselves leading rival Port-au-Prince gangs amid the violent aftermath of Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s ouster from Haiti, is not about culture per se. But in providing a rare glimpse into Haiti’s most dangerous slum and the politician-enabled armed gangs known as “chimères,” Danish director Asger Leth also documents the artistic desires of his antihero, “2Pac.” The most charismatic of the two brothers, he hopes to leave Haiti to become a rapper, and even gains an audience with Wyclef Jean, who became one of the film’s producers after learning of 2Pac’s story.