By: Jaury Georges Jean-Enard
Inspired by the events of the director’s mother in the USA, Ludi tells the overlooked story of a Haitian immigrant nurse picking up shifts left and right to support herself, families locally and families abroad.
Director Edson Jean named the film after a cousin, Loudie, stylicised as “Ludi.”
So many times, Haitians fight to make it to the “promised land” and land of opportunities, as it is so often seen as the best place on earth. However, they fail to see the incessant cycle of work often required to make ends meet while being the financial backbone of families back home in Haiti. According to the Creative Associates, there was an estimated $3.8 billion of diaspora remittances to Haiti. But in addition to the remittances, there is an uncalculated emotional weight associated with every transaction. They are supporting a young sibling’s tuition fee or tutoring fees. They are supporting a cousin’s first communion and the dress they want to wear.
In a deeply sympathetic scene, lead actress Shein Mompremier as Ludi, regretfully tells a sibling living in Haiti that she won’t be able to get her the dress she wanted. The siblings also communicate via a pre-recorded message on a tape recorder. Mompremier hears and feels the disappointment in her younger sibling’s voice and goes hunting for extra shifts in order to buy that dress.
More often than not, the sacrifices endured by Haitian immigrants in general to support families back home is not always noticed. Instead, they often perceive life in America as being synonymous with a life full of milk and honey.
Ludi is a profound reflection of the Haitian experience in the states, especially in the medical field. The film runs about 80 minutes and has a unique musical touch with namely Beken’s “Mwen Anvi Ale Lakay Mwen” song (I wanna return home). Fabiola Rodriguez at Bantufy Films produced it, and Joshua Jean-Baptiste co-wrote it. The film has premiered at the Miami Film Festival. Subsequently, South by Southwest screened the film, followed by Atlanta Film Festival. The film was also screened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Next up, Director Jean hopes to present the film in Haiti while curating a celebration of Haitian culture, food and music. The film’s trailer is available on YouTube.