Recovery and Reportage » Eyewitness report of destruction in Port Au Prince from Ciné Institute director David Belle

15 January 2010

Ciné Institute director David Belle flew from New York to Puerto Rico and then to Santo Domingo, then drove across Dominican Republic border to Hotel Oloffson in downtown PAP (Port au Prince). It is a drive that normally takes an hour and a half, but this time it took five hours.

“Traffic totally snarled at the city entrance with people heading out to provinces. Dominican presidential convoys racing back across to border after food drops. Military helicopters and cargo planes shuttling back and forth from border overhead. No substantial damages in Guanthier and Croix des Bouquets or Carrefou Marasa — walls and some small homes down but most larger construction standing. Airport surprisingly emptier than I expected with only 100 or so people attempting to get inside. Control tower is standing. Another group of 20 or so sleeping on curb with baggage who had apparently been turned away from an evacuation flight. Major destruction is first visible on the airport road heading to Delmas. Large buildings pancaked. Public squares at Delmas are makeshift refugee camps.

Moving into the city, route Nazon — which winds across central PAP — the destruction gets worse and worse and the street is lined with piles of swollen, rotting bodies. Residents place bodies on this central road with hope that they’ll be picked up and disposed of in mass graves being dug in routes Freres and Titayen.

Periodic roadblocks have been set up by residents, protesting the lack of any aid presence and angry at stench and indecency. Huge state-owned caterpillar tractors and dump trucks were just beginning to arrive and load bodies as we passed through. In the worst parts — every 50 feet or so — there were groups of 10 to 15 bodies lined side by side or stacked together. In between these stacks and groupings is a continual line of singles and doubles — one body after another. The odor is overwhelming. No one sleeps indoors and so roads are also partially blocked with families who have moved their beds to the street. Everyone is singing and praying in groups. Almost every one of the main hotels are damaged or destroyed. Hotel Montana is flattened. One of the owners and many guests buried inside. Oloffson Hotel has no more available rooms. Slept on mattresses in parking lot with Richard Morse (owner of Oloffson) and family. Two light tremors hit at 5 AM.

“I have very little news of friends in PAP. I know that Magalie Marcelin, the assistant director of my film Madame Ti Zo — is dead. Flo from Fosaj — the art school in Jacmel — also dead. No electricity — laptop battery almost dead. Will write as I can.”

David Belle, January 14th, 2010

4 Comments so far

Posted By: russ forfar on January 15th, 2010 5:08 pm

Thank you “Q”. It was nice to feel like I got good value for my CBC tax dollars. The Haitian film-makers story was inspiring. Thanks!
Posted By: russ forfar on January 15th, 2010 5:09 pm

Thank you “Q”. It was nice to feel like I got good value for my CBC tax dollars. The Haitian film-makers story was inspiring. Thanks!
Posted By: Jean H.Marcelin on January 15th, 2010 6:34 pm

Magalie Marcelin is my mothers first cousin… DAMN..SO HELPLESS..
Posted By: Doris Frame on January 15th, 2010 11:03 pm

Have you seen Sue Frame, Flo’s friend, that is in Jacmel from Chicago?

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