Update on Poto Mitan, April Screenings in Durham, NC

[Nesly Duquene]

Durham Screening:

Friday, April 23, 2010, 7:00pm Philip’s Episcopal Church 403 E. Main St. Durham, NC

Click for full details

 http://potomitan.net/screenings.html

---

Click to view this email in a browser

		Renegade Pictures, Inc.  and Tèt Ansanm Productions April 15, 2010
In This Issue: UPCOMING SCREENINGS! BUY THE DVD! ACTION ALERT!   HOST A SCREENING!       View segments of the film! PLAYING WITH FIRE available on Netflix! WATCH TRAILER PURCHASE  DVD! HOST A SCREENING! JOIN US on:		Hello FIRST_NAME|Friend}! An update on the POTO MITAN from Co-Director/Co-Producer, Mark Schuller who just returned from Haiti:  The news from Haiti is mixed. There is clearly progress being made in clearing the debris and assessing the housing stock in Port-au-Prince, and more aid is coming. But the conditions in the camps remain deplorable, some better than others. Some don't have latrines, food distributions, or wash water. See co-director Schuller's recent posting on Huffington Post for more detail. The primary focus of Schuller's visit was to reconnect with the women and the grassroots organizations in the film, making sure that they are ready for the first disbursement of the funds from DVD sales and honorarium through fiscal agent Lambi Fund. While it's small, the funds are making a concrete difference. One woman whom we previously interviewed for the film but was ultimately not included, due to time constraints, died instantly in the earthquake in her home and brother's church. Anne-Marie Fontus was 49. Marie-Jeanne reported: "I just barely left the factory in time when ‘the thing' happened (many people refuse to name it an earthquake, because they are still traumatized, like Marie-Jeanne herself). The earth shook and I was off balance. I fell to the ground. The concrete wall outside the factory came falling to the ground. I was trapped; the bricks fell on my legs. I couldn't move. Only after several minutes was someone able to help dig me out of the rubble." Luckily, Marie-Jeanne survived the quake, but she needs to walk on crutches, never to work on a factory floor again. Her co-worker Lunièse wasn't so lucky. She died before help could arrive. Marie-Jeanne left to recuperate in the provinces but returned Easter Sunday. Térèse is still at her home, under doctor's orders to remain home because her high blood pressure increased because of the stress of the earthquake. Solange is still in Cité Soleil, still engaged in community organizing while welcoming her first grand-daughter, born three weeks after the earthquake. Frisline's home was destroyed, so she briefly departed for the provinces.  She's now returned to Port-au-Prince to join her niece as leaders of the neighborhood committee in their camp of 6,000 people. Hélène, who was already a women's group leader before the quake, took her family to a nearby camp and is one of the six groups organizing for better living conditions. The women met to discuss future plans to bring their community organizing, gender, and human rights leadership training to their communities. One glimmer of hope is that the grassroots is reinvigorating and reconnecting, building a bottom-up civic infrastructure across the camps to promote basic needs. Specifically groups within Poto Mitan are working together to help grassroots leaders in a camp (including Hélène), build a free school for the children in the camp. Our solidarity could be very useful in helping people reconnect and rebuild. For people who would like to contribute to the women and organizations (Asanble Vwazen Solino and Jakè, Awozam, Chandèl, Fonkoze, Inivèsite Popilè, KODDFF, KOFAVIV, Lambi Fund, and Òganizasyon Fanm an Aksyon) can write a check to "Lambi Fund of Haiti" with "Poto Mitan" in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to:     Attn Poto Mitan    Lambi Fund of Haiti    P.O. Box 18955    Washington, DC  20036   ******************************************   POTO MITAN UPCOMING SCREENINGS We have a slew of screenings throughout the country in the next few weeks (starting TOMORROW) including Denver, Minneapolis, Brooklyn, Durham, Austin and more!  Click here for full details and to find a screening near you. ****************************************** HAITI ACTION ALERT The conditions in many of the camps are violations of survivor's human rights, specifically the U.N.'s convention on the treatment of Internally Displaced Persons. Many NGOs in charge are not coordinating with one another, not including the local communities in priority setting, decision-making and distribution. Partner organization Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti has organized a petition to the major NGOs. Partner organization MADRE is also calling for the inclusion of women in Haiti's reconstruction process.
		Forward this message to a friend

Renegade Pictures, Inc. Tèt Ansanm Productions 139 Clinton Ave, #4 Brooklyn, NY 11205 Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

---

The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy.