Nou Akoma Nou Sinèji Haitian Dominican Transnational Film Festival

"Nou Akoma Nou Sinèji" translates to "our hearts, our synergy"—a fitting motto for a festival that refuses to let political borders divide shared Caribbean experiences. While Haiti and the Dominican Republic occupy the same island, their stories rarely intersect in contemporary cinema. This festival changes that narrative.

The festival launches on Thursday, October 9, at 5 PM at CCCADI's Ilé Oyin with "Looking Within," an evening of short films that explore identity and legacy. Opening night features "Making of A Matriarch," celebrating Dominican-American strength; "Victorine," a film following a dancer's journey through grief; and "Papi Chulo," a sharp take on masculinity in Washington Heights.

Friday's workshops transform CCCADI into a creative laboratory. "The River Within" employs the body as a metaphor for the divided yet connected island Ayiti Kiskeya, while "Love Letters to the Future" invites participants to envision the future through collaborative writing. The day concludes with "Cinema for Liberation," a panel featuring award-winning filmmaker Anjanette Levert.

The weekend marathon at Maysles Documentary Center delivers the festival's most powerful programming. Audiences will witness Haiti's artistic resistance in "At All Kosts," where theater becomes survival during political chaos in Haiti. "La 42" captures Dominican street life with infectious vitality, while "The Strong Man of Bureng" follows one person's universal quest for belonging.

Sunday's climax confronts history head-on. "1964: simitye Kamoken" presents Haitian peasants breaking decades of silence about Duvalier's terror campaign. The festival closes with "Twice into Oblivion," where Haitian and Dominican actors collaborate to examine the 1937 massacre of over 20,000 Haitian immigrants—an unprecedented artistic reckoning with shared trauma.

This isn't just a film festival—it's cultural activism. In an entertainment landscape where Caribbean stories fight for visibility, Nou Akoma Nou Sinèji creates essential space for authentic representation. Each screening becomes an act of resistance against marginalization, each workshop a step toward healing historical wounds. The festival's accessibility commitment ensures "all bodies, all stories" find welcome, while networking events foster collaboration within the filmmaking community. Local partnerships with CCCADI and Maysles Documentary Center root the event firmly in Harlem's cultural soil.

Info: ? 5:00 PM – Light Reception
? 6:00 PM – Film Screenings Begin
? Talkback to follow the program
We open the 3rd Annual Nou Akoma Nou Sinèji Haitian Dominican Transnational Film Festival with a powerful collection of short films that ask us to reflect deeply on legacy, identity, and inherited values.
Shorts Program 1: Looking Within
This program examines the subtle forces that shape us: traditions, gender roles, family expectations, and the unspoken codes passed down through generations. From the feminine and masculine perspectives, we examine—not just accept—the legacies we carry. What beliefs and behaviors are inherited? What do we choose to keep, and what do we question or release?
Through these stories, we ask:
How does legacy shape who we are and guide how we show up in the world?
What values—silent or spoken—form the foundation of our humanity?

Host or Publisher Dominicans Love Haitians Movement