The Agronomist

The latest work by the Academy Award-winning director of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and PHILADELPHIA, Jonathan Demme, THE AGRONOMIST tells the story of Haitian national hero, journalist, and freedom fighter Jean Dominique, whom Demme first met and filmed in 1986. As owner and operator of his nation’s oldest and only free radio station, Dominique was frequently at odds with his country’s various repressive governments and spent much of the 80’s and early 90’s in exile in New York, where Demme continued to interview him over the years. Dominique fought tirelessly against his country's overwhelming injustice,
oppression, and poverty but it was Dominique’s shocking and still-unsolved assassination in April of 2000 that
gave the director the impetus to assemble more than a decade’s worth of material into a celebration of this
dynamic man and his legacy. THE AGRONOMIST, a portrait of a remarkable man, his extraordinary wife, and their beloved nation is being released at a time when Haiti is in turmoil. Headlines in our newspapers talk about a "cannibal army," about an upper class "revolutionary" opposition, about a compromised President who was formally a priest,
and about a two-hundred year struggle for democracy. All of which brings Haiti to people's attention and may,
simultaneously, confuse them. "The Agronomist" provides what amounts to a key to make sense of this news. One of the film's major accomplishments is to provide viewers with a context in which to understand what's happening in Haiti today -- and what may happen tomorrow. Through the lives of Jean Dominique and Michèle Montas, we get to see
behind the headlines and into the history that has led to today's events. Perhaps most telling to North
American viewers, "The Agronomist" illuminates the role that the United States has played in this small country's struggles -- and the influence it continues to have through its actions and/or inactions. Finally, the greatest contribution "The Agronomist" offers is to make burningly, tragically clear the need for an objective press. Haitians and Americans are united in not being able to understand the current political situation unless we have access to accurate, unbiased information. "The Agronomist" contains the moving story of how crucial such information is -- and how much it can cost. Unfortunately, it isn't surprising that "The Agronomist" is being released at such a turbulent time in Haiti. But current events do underline the importance of the story that the film tells.

"The film reveals a man whose wiry build, relentless passion, fearless guile, and bravery made him a beloved human rights activist in his strife-ridden country." -- Merle Bertrand, FILM THREAT

"Jean and Michèle illustrate, far more eloquently than any concatenation of events, the longstanding travails of Haitians in their impassioned desire for independence." -- Maria Garcia, FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

"As if in answer to Haiti's continuing cycle of violence, [Jonathan] Demme proposes through [Jean] Dominique a new cycle of hope." -- Keith Uhlich, SLANT MAGAZINE

"Demme's riveting chronicle spotlights the selfless heroism of a man faced with eventual martyrdom." -- Susan Green, BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE