It's amazing, but most Americans know hardly anything about Haiti--even though the island nation is a close neighbor. And, I must admit that I SHOULD have known more about it--being a retired history teacher! So, to correct my ignorance, I was thrilled to get a copy of this excellent documentary.
While the film is about Toussaint Louverture, the focus seemed to be much more on the Haitian Revolution and his part in it. The show uses the usual combination of paintings, interviews and recreations to tell the story--a story that is both uplifting and depressing. The uplifting part is seeing a popular uprising against slavery as well as Louverture rising from being a common slave to a freed man to the leader of this revolution. However, Louverture was NOT exactly the black George Washington, but was deeply flawed--and set the stage for centuries of misrule in this island nation. See the show and you'll know what I mean. Interesting throughout and well worth seeing--and a typically excellent PBS production.
While the film is about Toussaint Louverture, the focus seemed to be much more on the Haitian Revolution and his part in it. The show uses the usual combination of paintings, interviews and recreations to tell the story--a story that is both uplifting and depressing. The uplifting part is seeing a popular uprising against slavery as well as Louverture rising from being a common slave to a freed man to the leader of this revolution. However, Louverture was NOT exactly the black George Washington, but was deeply flawed--and set the stage for centuries of misrule in this island nation. See the show and you'll know what I mean. Interesting throughout and well worth seeing--and a typically excellent PBS production.
