Dodo, a reflective young Haitian, grapples with daily life in a country still shaken by its past. Should he stay in the Haiti he loves, or follow his friends abroad in search of a better life?
Saint-Marc is a small city tucked into the western coastline of Haiti. It’s bright, hot; the sun reaches everywhere. Everyone seems to spend their days outside, selling jeans and kites on the street, calling out to passing friends, working through daily challenges. It's a peaceful city—everyone knows each other.
But things aren’t easy. Roads are unfinished; trash burns in vacant lots. On a good day, the city operates on four hours of electricity.
Dodo, an entrepreneurial young translator, considers his next move. The lack of infrastructure makes working or building a business here difficult, and many of Dodo’s friends are leaving Haiti for better work opportunities and a more comfortable life elsewhere.
But Dodo feels a deep connection to his homeland, to the beauty and history and idiosyncrasy animating every place he's been.
As he discovers hidden places in Saint-Marc and throughout the countryside, Dodo reflects on the past and imagines what the future could look like for himself and for the city he loves.
Clay Thomas was born in New Jersey, and has lived in a bunch of spots: Horten, Philadelphia, Santa Clara, Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Seoul, Chattanooga. Ale Vini is his first film. He is one-half of Cool Baby.
Annie Huntington is a cinematographer, editor, and secret voiceover artist living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ale Vini is her first film. She is one-half of Cool Baby.
