Haitian Documentary LIFT UP Commemorates Two-Year Anniversary of Haitian Earthquake

Starting January 12th, to help commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Haitian earthquake, we will be having a week-long, commemorative online release during which award winning Haitian documentary film LIFT UP will be available online and for free at http://liftupmovie.com/. 

For LIFT UP, January 12th also marks the end of a successful, year-long international film festival tour during which LIFT UP was honored to receive the Amsterdam Film Fest Van Gogh Award, Documentary Directing and the Williamsburg Film Fest Outstanding Achievement, Feature Documentary award. 

In the coming month, keep on the lookout for the wider online release through Amazon on Demand, iTunes, Hulu, and Netflix streaming.

Profits will be donated to help the rebuilding process in Haiti. 

Synopsis:

Poignant, beautiful and unflinchingly human, LIFT UP follows two brothers, Clifford Muse and Huguens Jean, as they return to their native Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to commemorate their grandfather’s passing. The disaster having prevented them from attending the funeral, Clifford and Huguens plan to create a traditional Haitian kite to celebrate the life of the man who molded their childhoods.

Upon arriving in Haiti, they are surprised to find a vibrant nation filled with people committed to sharing their stories. As Clifford and Huguens collect the materials for their kite, they begin to record the experiences of their countrymen, and the scope of their journey expands. Soon musicians, painters, politicians, educators, family and friends are adding their voices and even contributing to Clifford and Huguens’s kite.

Their kite becomes a tapestry, depicting the life of Haiti after the quake. The familiar image of a Haitian child, standing on a roof, his kite soaring above, becomes a metaphor for the people of Haiti: surrounded by danger and standing on shaky ground while their spirits fight the wind, seeking their place in the sky.

Their journey at an end, Clifford and Hugues return to the US and fly their memorial kite at the 44th Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival. Despite mild wind, the kite dances hundreds of feet above the ground as a nation’s soul soars.