Hot Docs 2019 – Massacre River
Pikilina is a Dominican-born woman of Haitian descent. Violence erupts when the country of her birth, the Dominican Republic, reverses birthright citizenship and she and 200,000 others are left stateless.
Interview with Director/Producer Suzan Beraza
Watch Massacre River on Kanopy
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Initially, it was out of self-interest as I wanted to spend more time with my family in the Dominican Republic so was looking for a good story. Five years later I have a very different film then I started out making.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
With rising nationalism and xenophobia throughout the world, this story serves as a model as to what happens when a country does away with birthright citizenship (and reinterprets their constitution to do so).
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Nationality is considered the foundation from which other rights spring. In other words, it’s the “right to have rights.” Without citizenship or nationality, a person is wholly disenfranchised and has no legal avenue to advance themselves, their needs, or their interests.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film started off as a story following sex tourism. Our main subject, Pikilina, was a Dominican-born woman of Haitian descent and lost her nationality with the change in the law. We realized that following her and her family during their struggles would be a much more interesting story.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Our screening at Hot Docs will be our premiere so we shall see!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It's always a great thing to bring new audiences to your film. I'm hoping that We are Moving Stories will do just that.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are very grateful that the film was funded by ITVS and we have U.S. broadcast on PBS. As the story is international in scope, we are looking for international partners, distributors and broadcasters.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like the film to make audiences more aware of what happens when the most basic human right, nationality, is taken away and to not let it happen again.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What does it feel like to be stateless? How does it impact your life?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am in very early stages for a follow up to my first film Bag It, a film about the overuse of plastic and its impact on humans and the environment. Our new project is titled Double Bag It.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Massacre River
Pikilina is a Dominican-born woman of Haitian descent. Violence erupts when the country of her birth, the Dominican Republic, reverses birthright citizenship and she and 200,000 others are left stateless.
Length: 1:21:05
Director: Suzan Beraza
Producer: David Byars
About the writer, director and producer:
SUZAN BEZARA is a Hispana-Latina-American filmmaker who was born and raised in the Caribbean. Her films have shown on Independent Lens, PBS, Pivot TV and more. Her first film, Bag It, has been televised in over thirty countries. Her film Uranium Drive-In was a recipient of Sundance Institute funding and was featured at Good Pitch and at Hot Docs Pitch Forum. The film was awarded the Big Sky Award and was honored for documentary excellence by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Her current project, Massacre River is the recipient of ITVS funding and was selected for the Latino Media Market, Camden International Film Festival Points North Fellowship, and IFP Spotlight on Documentaries. Suzan became Festival Director for Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado in 2017.
DAVID BYARS is a former financial analyst who left his job in 2008 in search of more artistic pursuits. The financial system promptly and predictably crashed. He joined Reel Thing Films in 2009 and worked as a post-production intern on Bag It and continued working as an editor, cameraman, and sound technician on Uranium Drive-In. His feature film, No Man’s Land, which was produced by Morgan Spurlock and was a recipient of the Gucci Tribeca Fund, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival.
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, buyers
Facebook: Massacre River
Made in association with: ITVS
Funders: ITVS, Fork Films, NALAC (National Association of Latino Arts and Culture), Mountainfilm Commitment Grant
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival