Trauma, Vengeance, and Healing in Haitian Corner

Trauma, Vengeance, and Healing in Haitian Corner

Presenter(s)

Lydia Andrews

Comments

10:45-12:00, Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

This presentation examines how Raoul Peck’s 1987 film Haitian Corner explores the different ways trauma is processed within the Haitian diaspora, contrasting the protagonist Joseph’s obsession with vengeance against his community’s focus on rebuilding. Joseph, a survivor of the Duvalier dictatorship displaced in New York City, is consumed by his past, isolating himself as he relentlessly pursues his former torturer. Whereas, characters like Sarah and Hegel, who have endured similar trauma, exile, and displacement, focus on establishing stability and creating supportive spaces for their community in New York. While much of the Haitian diaspora prioritizes moving forward, Joseph remains trapped in a cycle of traumatic memories and vengeance. Through this juxtaposition, Peck reveals the complex reality of overcoming trauma: healing occurs in various ways, at different paces, and on different timelines. In this way, Haitian Corner gives insight into the Haitian diaspora’s diverse experiences and can resonate with communities and individuals dealing with similar histories of political violence and displacement. Ultimately, Peck leverages Haitian cinema as historical testimony and a means of reclaiming agency, depicting the diaspora’s struggles and resilience, and contributing to broader discourse on trauma within the Francophone world.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Course Project - FRN 381 01

Primary Advisor

Marda Messay

Primary Advisor's Department

Global Languages and Cultures

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Critical Evaluation of Our Times; Diversity

Trauma, Vengeance, and Healing in Haitian Corner

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