The Sugar Babies
Encyclopedia
The Sugar Babies is a feature-length documentary film
that vividly explores the lives of descendants of African slaves delivered to the island of Hispaniola
to help produce sugar
. These very same people continue to be trafficked to work in sugar production under circumstances the film depicts as modern day slavery.
Narrated by Edwidge Danticat, the film examines the moral price of sugar – present and past—from the perspective of conditions surrounding the children of sugar cane cutters of Haitian ancestry in the Dominican Republic
and the continuing denial of their basic human rights. The film reveals the complicity between the government of the Dominican Republic and the sugar industry in exploiting Haitian immigrants.
, Haiti
, England
, and the United States
. The 99-minute film is originally in Spanish, French and Creole and sub-titled in English, and produced by The Hope, Courage and Justice Project of New Orleans, the Human Rights Foundation of New York, and the former Siren Studios of Miami.
The film was written, shot, produced, and directed by Amy Serrano
. Its executive producer is Claudia Chiesi, Producer is Thor Halvorssen
, Constance Haqq is Co-Producer and Salvador Longoria and Tico Pujals are Associate Producers. The film was edited by Jason Ocasio and scored by Bill Cruz.
fields, known as bateys and controlled by individuals such as the Palm Beach
-based sugar barons Alfonso and Pepe Fanjul
and the wealthy Dominican Vicini
family, owners of the Grupo Vicini collection of companies which includes CAEI (3 major sugar mills), Banco del Progreso (one of the largest banks in the Dominican Republic), METALDOM (the largest metallurgic in the Caribbean) and investments in over 20 more companies. Allegations of modern-day slavery
have met with a swift response from the sugar barons and ultra-nationalist Dominicans.
and Miami have led to heated controversy.
The Miami screening of the film, which included many members of the hispanic
media of South Florida and from the Dominican Republic, was the subject of a cease and desist order one hour before the time of screening, as well as a bribery scandal when several radio producers came forward and denounced that Dominican diplomats had offered them bribes (envelopes filled with cash amounts ranging from $400-$2,000) to disrupt the screening and give the film a bad review.
The Paris screening of the film was also the subject of a sabotage
attempt.
The film made "Official Selection" at Unifem's Through Women's Eyes Film Festival, the New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival, and the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival. The film also made "Official Selection" at both the Miami International Film Festival and the Women's International Film Festival but was ostensibly withdrawn from both South Florida festivals due to pressure from the sugar industry.
The Sugar Babies won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Delray Beach Film Festival, continues to be screened in film festivals and educational venues, and is on tour with Amnesty International in France.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that vividly explores the lives of descendants of African slaves delivered to the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
to help produce sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. These very same people continue to be trafficked to work in sugar production under circumstances the film depicts as modern day slavery.
Narrated by Edwidge Danticat, the film examines the moral price of sugar – present and past—from the perspective of conditions surrounding the children of sugar cane cutters of Haitian ancestry in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and the continuing denial of their basic human rights. The film reveals the complicity between the government of the Dominican Republic and the sugar industry in exploiting Haitian immigrants.
Production
The Sugar Babies was shot on location in the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 99-minute film is originally in Spanish, French and Creole and sub-titled in English, and produced by The Hope, Courage and Justice Project of New Orleans, the Human Rights Foundation of New York, and the former Siren Studios of Miami.
The film was written, shot, produced, and directed by Amy Serrano
Amy Serrano
Amy Serrano is a Cuban-American film maker. Serrano is writer, director, cinematographer and producer.-Filmaking career:...
. Its executive producer is Claudia Chiesi, Producer is Thor Halvorssen
Thor Halvorssen
Thor Leonardo Halvorssen Mendoza —commonly known as Thor Halvorssen—is a human rights advocate and film producer with contributions in the field of public policy, public interest advocacy, individual rights and civil liberties, and pro-democracy advocacy...
, Constance Haqq is Co-Producer and Salvador Longoria and Tico Pujals are Associate Producers. The film was edited by Jason Ocasio and scored by Bill Cruz.
Synopsis
Haitian immigrants have traditionally labored in the sugarcaneSugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
fields, known as bateys and controlled by individuals such as the Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
-based sugar barons Alfonso and Pepe Fanjul
The Fanjul Brothers
The Fanjul brothers — Alfonso "Alfy" Fanjul, José "Pepe" Fanjul, Alexander Fanjul, and Andres Fanjul — are owners of Fanjul Corp., a vast sugar and real estate conglomerate in the United States and Dominican Republic, comprising the subsidiaries Domino Sugar, , C&H Sugar, Redpath Sugar, Tate & Lyle...
and the wealthy Dominican Vicini
Vicini
- Juan Bautista Vicini :Bautista, was born on February 25 1847 in Zoagli, a coastal village near Genoa. Son of Angelo and Anna Canepa Vicini. Juan Bautista Vicini left Italy and went to the Dominican Republic in 1860, when he was only twelve years old....
family, owners of the Grupo Vicini collection of companies which includes CAEI (3 major sugar mills), Banco del Progreso (one of the largest banks in the Dominican Republic), METALDOM (the largest metallurgic in the Caribbean) and investments in over 20 more companies. Allegations of modern-day slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
have met with a swift response from the sugar barons and ultra-nationalist Dominicans.
Controversy
The film enjoyed its official world premiere at the Montreal International Haitian Film Festival but preview screenings in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Miami have led to heated controversy.
The Miami screening of the film, which included many members of the hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
media of South Florida and from the Dominican Republic, was the subject of a cease and desist order one hour before the time of screening, as well as a bribery scandal when several radio producers came forward and denounced that Dominican diplomats had offered them bribes (envelopes filled with cash amounts ranging from $400-$2,000) to disrupt the screening and give the film a bad review.
The Paris screening of the film was also the subject of a sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
attempt.
The film made "Official Selection" at Unifem's Through Women's Eyes Film Festival, the New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival, and the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival. The film also made "Official Selection" at both the Miami International Film Festival and the Women's International Film Festival but was ostensibly withdrawn from both South Florida festivals due to pressure from the sugar industry.
The Sugar Babies won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Delray Beach Film Festival, continues to be screened in film festivals and educational venues, and is on tour with Amnesty International in France.