IN PRODUCTION — COMING 2012
Synopsis
“Untitled Haiti Project” is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the relief work of a guerrilla-style NGO in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Without substantial funding or a celebrity spokesperson, this group of young individuals resorts to “ends justifies the means” methods to bring relief. Their “snatch-and-grab” approach fits well in the chaos of post-earthquake Haiti. What begins as a group of self-described troublemakers, quickly becomes a key player in the rescue and rebuilding of Haiti, saving numerous lives as well as earning the confidence of locals and recognition from the large NGOs operating on the island. As the dust settles over the ruins of Port au Prince, however, not only is the massive scale of this disaster revealed, but also the group members’ personal struggles that propelled them from the U.S. to this ravaged city.
“Untitled Haiti Project” follows this group from Haiti to their hometowns in the U.S. and back to explore what makes volunteers cut loose from their lives and reach out to complete strangers, while drawing the profiles of rescue workers and exploring the tension between altruism and a helper’s high.
“Untitled Haiti Project” is not a story about Haiti. It is a story about volunteers and the reasons, conflicts, failures and dreams that brought them there.
Credits
- Directed by Lior Etziony & Michal Hanuka
- Produced by Alexandra Johnes and Tony Felzen
- Executive Producers: Jane Oster & Jim Butterworth
- Co-Producer: Daniel J. Chalfen