Recovery and Reportage » Open Letter from Nathalie Brunet

27 January 2010

Nathalie Brunet (far left) at Ciné Institute Jacmel

Upon arriving in New York from Haiti 12 days after the earthquake, having transited through Santo Domingo, San Juan, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Nathalie Brunet, a staff member of Ciné Institute, wrote the following:

“The disconnection from Haiti is pretty traumatic in itself, or is that what they call post-traumatic stress? When I arrived in the DR Saturday, I couldn’t get rid of this guilty feeling…. Guilty of being in normalcy, realizing the whole world was moving on, so close to our borders, as if our world hadn’t stopped. In Puerto Rico, deciding on which magazine to buy for the flight turned into mental torture… Travel? Fashion? Home decorating? They all seemed like futile pleasures and all the best-seller book topics seemed too depressing. I ended up buying nothing at all. Then came the phobias.
Airport terminals (where the ground shakes a lot) got me very nervous and I broke down in tears at the Fort Lauderdale airport yesterday. I can imagine what walking above the subway will feel like later today. Getting mentally ready. Every time the apartment’s wooden floor cracks, I shake! I’m realizing that we, the survivors of the earthquake, are so deeply scarred that we will need assistance for decades to come… I’m so exhausted that I can’t get enough sleep.”

4 Comments so far

Posted By: NealTraci on January 28th, 2010 12:05 pm

I’ve passed your site on to all my facebook friends. Please continue to update us on the people of your area. The mainstream news is starting to push Haiti coverage aside for other things and many of us here are still looking for news from Haiti. Your work is beautiful and you are our eyes and ears in Haiti. Thank you for what you’re doing. Stay strong and God bless.
Posted By: LOVE on January 28th, 2010 11:57 pm

Your films are wonderful and amazing. I am in awe of your spirit and strength. You are in my thoughts and prayers every day. You are loved. Thank you.
Posted By: Sarah Baldwin on February 3rd, 2010 5:46 pm

Nathalie,

We recognize your stress and want to support you. You will always have a group of supporters who knows what happened and will not forget. Everyday we think of Haiti.
I hope you find healing and meaning through creative arts. I hope you can get some rest. Some sleep should help you recover. You have a community of support. -Sarah
Posted By: Sue on February 6th, 2010 5:34 am

I feel not better but more connected when I read your post. I too feel very disconnected. I left on the 20th in a Navy helicopter and then to Florida in an airforce transport plane with 160 other people. I feel like now I am in a watered down reality. Everything is too clean and orderly in this world compared to my brain and my heart. No one here has experienced what I have. I wish I was back in Jakmel healing with others who know my how my heart and soul have suffered. Thank you for your words. It took me a week to find my energy.
Sue

4 Comments so far

Leave a reply

LATEST NEWS