Recovery and Reportage » New Eyewitness Accounts From Students

16 January 2010

“I was at Ciné Institute at a meeting with Zaka and Frero to supervise their work (photo of a boat) on a project documentary about water. Suddenly I heard a big noise, and I saw Paula and Andrew jumping off their seats to take refuge under the threshold of the door. Zaka and Frero joined them. Since it was already raining dust from the ceiling, I slipped under a table for protection. The floor was shaking at a growing and irresistible rhythm under my feet.

“After the jolts, Paula shouted “Rastafarai!.” Other people were imploring God. I was helping Silver to save a couple of materials when someone shouted: “current-of-marsh.” We all ran and left the building. As I ran in the streets (with a computer in my arms) I saw injured and dead people, destroyed houses. It looked like the apocalypse. My mother’s house is destroyed. I lost some cousins and friends and I can’t stop thinking about Cine Lekol.”

Donald Charles, Ciné Institute, Jacmel, January 2010

“The town of Jacmel is unrecognizable after this earthquake and all the students of Ciné Institute are looking for pictures to show the amount of victims. I am okay, even though my family and I are sleeping in the streets. A couple of my friends died in a school that collapsed. I have relatives in Port-au-Prince that I cannot touch base with.”

Olivier Divers, Ciné Institute, Jacmel, January 2010

“It was around five o’clock in the afternoon when it happened. I was working on a short film on top of a house. I felt a vibration, but I never thought that such a terrible earthquake was going to hit us that bad. It lasted a couple of seconds, but it was disastrous.

“Ciné Institute was hit so bad that we couldn’t work at or usual location. We had to go to a nearby place. Jacmel needs a fast intervention because there were approximately 300 to 400 houses that were destroyed and there are still corpses buried in their houses. Now these corpses are releasing odors which will cause diseases later. Ciné Institute still doesn’t have a location.”

Massena Cesar, Ciné Institute, Jacmel, January 2010

“My name is Marie Lucie Dubreuse and I am a student at Ciné Institute. This is the first time I am seeing the damages of an earthquake. I was at Ciné Institute when everything started rolling under our feet. Thank God I wasn’t alone on this unforgettable day. One of my classmates took my hand and ran to the streets with me. That’s when I understood what happened.

“I ran home to get my daughter that was home at the time. This has traumatized everyone. We are all alive at Ciné Institute and we are doing our best to inform you of the situation in Jacmel.”

Lucie Dubreuse, Ciné Institute, Jacmel, January 2010

9 Comments so far

Posted By: UXUE on January 17th, 2010 1:50 am

Donald , Olivier!Hello guys! I don´t know what to say you guys, I can´t believed what is happen there.
Thanks for telling us your testimonies.
Hermes and I are sending emails to all the contacts we have (Spain,USA,Europe), attaching the website of the cine institute, and telling them the situation of Jacmel, and how can they help you.
Meanwhile, big hugs and kisses to all of you from LA.
Posted By: kathleen mcmullin on January 17th, 2010 4:37 am

This surely is a picture of Juanita in Jacqmel with her nursing gown on helping people with their injuries.
Posted By: Sarah on January 17th, 2010 6:10 am

I am sending a big hug from Canada. A story written by Dana Chivvis about your website and school was featured prominently on the AOL Canada “top news” website. So I want you to know that many Canadians are reading your story.
Thank you for documenting this momentus event, even though it it is probably very hard sometimes.
We are all Haitians.
Posted By: Pete Tidemann on January 17th, 2010 6:18 am

Hi Andrew, Paula, Silver and the rest of the Cine gang.

We are with you and doing all we can too. You are doing good work in the midst of chaos, and the images/stories are much needed over here too. We are passing along the stories you are telling and the hearts and minds of people are reaching out to Jakmel.

Paula and Andrew and David, let us know what you need to support this process.

Stay strong Ayiti, we are with you. With love, Pete
Posted By: Global Voices Online » Haiti: Beyond the Capital on January 17th, 2010 10:43 pm

[...] Video bloggers are also chronicling their experiences, with clips from Les Cayes and Jacmel getting lots of attention on YouTube and other video sharing websites. The Cine Institute in Jacmel also posted eyewitness accounts of the earthquake. [...]
Posted By: Angela Cleo Smith on January 18th, 2010 1:07 am

Mon nom est Angela Cleo Smith. Nous sommes une école de cinéma à Oakland, en Californie et je voudrais lui faire rapport en collaboration avec l’école. Nous travaillons avec un journal local et que vous souhaitez communiquer des informations immédiates et personnelles sur ce qui se passe en Haïti. Vous pouvez me joindre au angcleo2003@yahoo.com. Merci

Please contact in English if not I can translate your response in French (google.com)
Posted By: Global Voices auf Deutsch » Haiti: Außerhalb der Hauptstadt on January 19th, 2010 4:25 am

[...] Les Cayes und Jacmel erregen bei YouTube und anderen Video-Sharing-Websites viel Aufmerksamkeit. Augenzeugenberichte über das Erdbeben wurden auch von dem Cine-Institut in Jacmel [...]
Posted By: Readers Edition » Haiti: Außerhalb der Hauptstadt on January 19th, 2010 9:30 am

[...] Les Cayes und Jacmel erregen bei YouTube und anderen Video-Sharing-Websites viel Aufmerksamkeit. Augenzeugenberichte über das Erdbeben wurden auch von dem Cine-Institut in Jacmel [...]
Posted By: Haiti: Youth step it up for earthquake relief – Conversations for a Better World on January 26th, 2010 4:22 am

[...] rubble, the students have been documenting the quake’s aftermath through photos, Twitter and eyewitness accounts. Here’s an account from student Marie Lucie Dubreuse: This is the first time I am seeing the [...]

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