Venezuela giving Danny Glover $18m to direct film on Toussaint Louverture led slave revolt
Chavez hopes venture will aid anti-imperialist fight
Actor wants to educate US on Toussaint Louverture
Venezuela is to give the American actor Danny Glover almost $18m (£9m) to make a film about a slave uprising in Haiti, with President Hugo Chavez hoping the historical epic will sprinkle Hollywood stardust on his effort to mobilise world public opinion against imperialism and western oppression.
The Venezuelan congress said it would use the proceeds from a recent bond sale with Argentina to finance Glover’s biopic of Toussaint Louverture, an iconic figure in the Caribbean who led an 18th-century revolt in Haiti.
It will also give seed money for a film version of The General in His Labyrinth, Gabriel Garca Marquez’s novel about the last days of Simon Bolivar, who liberated much of South America from Spanish colonialism.
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The project could mark a breakthrough for Villa del Cine, a new government-funded studio outside the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, which is part of Mr Chavez’s effort to combat what he sees as American cultural hegemony.
Glover, who visited Caracas at the weekend, told the Guardian that he would direct the film, titled Toussaint. “It’s so advanced that you can taste it. We’ve scouted locations within 75km [45 miles] of Caracas. I can do everything I need to do with this film from here.” He said he had been in talks with the government, but was unaware that a decision had been made until journalists tipped him off about the congress’s announcement. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” he said.
He suggested that there was still some uncertainty over whether the venture would go ahead. “One of the major axioms in theatre is never talk about anything until the deal is signed. There’s a lot of deliberation that goes on before something actually happens.”
It appeared that the congress timed the announcement to coincide with a media conference in Caracas hosted by the television network Telesur, a Venezuela-funded regional answer to CNN. Glover is on the board.
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Toussaint Louverture is a towering figure in the region’s history. A freed slave of African descent, he led thousands of slaves in successful campaigns against British, Spanish and French troops before being betrayed, captured and exiled. He died in 1803, just before his followers succeeded in establishing the island’s independence. William Wordsworth wrote a sonnet about him.
Glover said he wanted to educate the US about the story. “It’s been essentially wiped out of our historic memory, it’s been wiped clean.”
The actor is chairman of the TransAfrica Forum, an advocacy group for African Americans and other members of Africa’s diaspora, and a vocal critic of the Bush administration. Along with the singer Harry Belafonte, Glover is the best known celebrity supporter of Mr Chávez, whom he considers “remarkable”. He is a regular visitor to Venezuela.
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More @:http://film.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329883684-3156,00.html
Guardian Unlimited
Toussaint L’Ouverture is perhaps the greatest military genius every to operate in the Western Hemisphere. Why in all creation was a white woman used to write the screenplay for this film?–http://www.louverturefilms.com/ss/about_us. I do not want to see no film about this incredible Black man written by no white man or woman. They cannot give it the treatment it deserves. Oh, wait a minute, I know why Joslyn Barnes got to write the screenplay. She is co-founder of Louverture Films with Danny Glover. Perhaps before it is to late we are going to learn we cannot partner with whites and think we will thereafter produce something that is Black through and through. The Black person in that situation always compromises his or her vision. I would love to see a film about L’Ouverture but I will not go see this one because I am lactose intolerant.
First of all I would like to say a big thanks to Mr.Chavez who for the sake of fredom, liberty and justice did not consider it a robery to be equal in courage to T. Louverture himself, to M. L. King Jr., to Malcom X and so on in order to make his voice heard as a deffensor of these precious gifts that God ever bestowed to mankind. Mr Chavez, you are a SAINT Sr.
Second, another Thanks goes to Mr. Glover for taking on such a noble task to reintroduce the name of This great military genious to the citizens of this hungry for knowledge world.
Mr. Glover, I want you to know with all the respect Sr. that the wiping out of the the name of Toussaint Louverture of the world history is intentional. Alexander the Great is remembered, Winston Churchill is remembered, Napoleon Bonaparte is remembered, Ronald Reagan is Remembered, even Adolph Hitler is remembered. Two major reasons why the name of Toussaint Louverture is neglected are because he was BLACK (a black geniou) and the issu of slavery is not over yet.
Jamal, you are absolutely right.
Toussaint Louverture’s story is unique.
Where would a black man be without this great man.
It will take someone with a special connection to Haiti, its history and and the people to authentically write this story.
Anyone can write a screenplay for Hollywood. But Toussaint, Dessalinnes, Boukmann, Cecile Fatima etc… were the first slaves to not only rise but succeded in gaining their independence. Therefore, it must be told right.
Danny Glover did not even consider casting Haitian actors for some of the leading roles or shooting part of the movie in Haiti where it all happened.
I am sure he will cast a few Haitians as extras.
More power to you.
Mr. Jamal,
I wish Mr. Glover luck in producing this movie, I heard it has been twenty years since he’s been trying. Publicity is definitely good for Louverture Films.
I hope Danny doesn’t spend Chavez’s money on coffee and donuts. One thing Mr. Glover needs to know about Haiti is that when stories are being told about these great Haitian warriors/freedom fighters there are emotional and spiritual feelings involved.
Mr. Glover should ask authorization to put the life of this great warrior on the big screen.
Even though I was born and raised in the US, I still get goose-bumps when I hear these stories. Why? Because of my ties to their struggles. I’ve gotten lots of feedbacks from people and different articles about this story, it is good that Danny is making this film about Toussaint but is it
a business deal with Venezuela, or will Mr. Glover have enough guts to tell the story like it really happened.
We just have to wait and see.
hi danny my name is jean p faiteau that was my dream to play movie with you because i realy love your movie i am haitian
Dear Mr. Chavez, Mr. Glover and all others involved in this produkkkshun:
How dare you do this to us? Mr. glover you have played a child molester in 2 movies and now you live to molest the good Haitian people too. You are literally living out the role you played in the Charles Burnett film where you depicted the devil. You are Petion incarnate in black face with an African American ethnicity. You are selling us to the same people who hundreds of years ago compelled us to go fight (10,000 just like Jah’s armies in the bible) for your causes and your advancement by breaking our backs and spirits. How dare you people use us and abuse us like this again?
I call on all the African ancestors, the Petro and Rada spirits to deal with this misdirected produkkk-shun by showing some justice for the good Haitian people.
It is obvious to me that you are not aiming this at a Haitian audience or to even reinforce the Haitian agenda. Rather Mr. Glover seeks to kkkapitalize on our pain by replacing the Haitians with African Americans and white faces. This is minstrelsy at work a 100%! How dare you? We did not forget this side of our story, you and your kind did and you should be directing your movie at those who willingly choose to e-race this story from their minds and hearts every day when they trample on the poor Haitians in their mists. In places like South Florida and Boston and Massachussetts to name a few where we are shunned, mistreated, abused and ostricized like lepers. You need to remind them of our contributions to their good ole nation States-United Snakes of Amerikkka. You need to remind your kind that Nat Turner, was inspired and darn right influenced by the Haitian Revolution when he organized his revolt. You need to remind your kind who they are victimizing every day in their neighborhoods, schools, public transportation, social network places, medical and professional establishments, jails and prisons.
That’s what you should be doing, a documentary of the victimization of the Haitian by the hands of African Americans and other ethnic blacks throughout the so-called New World and Europe and Africa for that matter. You need to document how the Haitian Revolution and its success marked us for life around the globe. In fact, that would be a worthwhile endeavor. That would guarantee your place in the Righteous elders hall of fame. Instead, you choose to go the cowardly route and bow down to Hollywood and white supremacy. Shameful. I had hoped that mingling with so many blacks involved in social movements around the globe would have enlightened you. I guess it hasn’t.
I plan to continue my protest of this produkkkshun because I feel that it seeks to justify a racist agenda aimed directly at eradicating the Haitian presence in Western society. `You seem to wanna say that we are not needed and you folks can do the job. Let me ask you, how would you represent the pain and heartache and suffering that we’ve survived and put up with for the past 200+ years? Haven’t you learned anything from your friends in the Haitian intelligentsia. I know that Aristide has talked to you about the rights of the downtrodden and wretched. But I should have realized that you to are choosing to ride along with the wagon of domestic war on terror. You are choosing to rob us of our birthright just like your righeteous cousins are robbing you of yours and mine. so my kind is being robbed over and over by people like you with a few bucks and some power.
Do the right thing mister. Let Raoul Peck or some other Haitian director do this work. What do you know about this hero and the Haitian Revolution? Can you really feel it?
This movie will not get the results that you seek. And Chavez will experience another defeat. He cannot ride on the backs of Haitians to fund his elitist movement. Just like his hero, Simon Bolivar who promised to free all blacks throughout Latin America when Petion gave him all those thousands of Haitian soldiers to fight against the Spanish you both have renigged on your promised to be righteous and to respect the Haitian people.
Down with you and your cause. I hope that you rot in hell!
First of all Hemptress,
I think you are way over reacting and out of touch with reality. The people of Haiti know the story of Toussaint. So to target the Haitian people would be preaching to the choir. As for using Haitian actors, how many people do you really think would come out to see a non recognized Haitian actor? Not me and that is even if the movie was about me. The point of this film about Toussaint is to reach the masses, educate as many people as you can. And your not going to do that with any random Haitian actor. I think you need to calm down because you are not being rational and your embarrassing me as a Haitian. I also took notice how you mentioned Africa in your ranting. Did you know the role Africa played in slavery? Yeah, slavery was an inside job my friend. You were foolish enough to add Mr. Glover played a child molester in two movies that was just plain, well there isn’t a nice way of putting it; it was just “FN” stupid. Before you say anything out of anger, I strongly suggest you take a deep breath, count to 20 and shut the “F” up. I don’t know about you but I’ll be damned in anyone think they can mistreat me because I am Haitian. If your week enough to let someone put you down because your Haitian, then you are a weak link and you are no good to Haiti. Although I do have my cons about Mr. Glovers plans on the Toussaint film project and it is because it does not involve filming in Haiti were it could help a great number of people. But at the end of the day I wish the movie hits its target reach, teach and give Toussaint a place in history so his name and great accomplishment can echo though time.
How, When and Where to audition for this film. I’m Haitian and would love to play a female role for this film.