Haitian Corner

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HAITIAN CORNER:

My name is Julie Mnard.

I spent seven years in

the state penitentiary.

I was picked up on the street.

I was kept in an empty room

without food or drink for 11 days.

I wasn't even allowed

to lean against the wall.

Every night at one in the morning,

an officer came round

to check my condition,

especially my swollen feet.

On the twelfth day, they

ordered me to get undressed.

They tied my hands behind my back,

took my head between their legs,

and began beating me...

Every day they woke us

up at 2:
30 in the morning.

They put us under

an ice-cold shower.

There, we could wet

a small piece of cloth

to wipe the face of a

sick or dying friend.

At 6 A. M., they gave

us a tiny piece of bread

with coffee in a bowl

that everyone drank from.

The torture and

beatings were bad enough,

but it was the disease and

depression that killed most of us.

We had to get along as best

we could without medicine,

'cause the guards sold it outside.

When we had bruises or lesions,

we had to use our own

urine to clean them.

For our sores and infected ulcers,

we used the cement dust in the cell.

When our clothes

became really too dirty,

we'd use urine also

to disinfect them.

How happy I am

To learn about people's actions

I was never a choirboy

Eagerness in ransacking the county

Armed struggle for money

Radicals aren't what they used to be

Empty talk in the congress

Plotting in the back

The same old story

Let's suppose for a while

That we could fight together

What a dream! But tell me how

Long live the oppositiont

So long, Joseph!

Tania!

Is Hegel there, please?

President Jean-Claude Duvalier declared

to the AFP... that those people...

had been manipulated... He won't

tolerate any more disturbance.

The Carter administration

has renewed it's position

that it would not support any

dictatorial regime on American soil.

Once again, the

summay of today's news.

So, good night and... hang in there!

Watch them, brother.

Watch them.

Watch them even if you

don't have the strength.

If they try to crush you,

then hold your ground.

If they try to devour you,

then, keep your eyes open.

If you must run,

you better know where to.

If you must die,

know the reason why.

Watch them, brother. Watch

them even if you don't like it.

'Cause in this game, brother,

you won't get a second chance.

What are you doing

here at this hour?

I live here too, remember?

I do remember, unfortunately.

I had a dream.

You were in it.

You must've slept well then!

I received your father's papers.

We have one week to decide.

I don't understand you.

I asked you to take

care of your father.

Not to leave him

alone, to take him out.

But it's not your problem, is it?

Keep looking away...

and one day, your father

will jump out of the window.

Stop it, will you? -Are

you telling me what to do?

What's wrong with you?

What's in your head?

You go to work when you feel like

it. Here you waste your time writing.

And talking nonsense.

-Now who's talking?

Pay! -I'll pay.

You blocked over

there already, idiot!

Here he is!

Our national poet! -You're going

places, now you've been on the radio!

Leave the guy alone.

We might make it too, now.

I knew we would get

somewhere one day.

See yourself as a muse?

You bunch of drunkards!

So I sat there...

Two guys were facing me.

The woman hadn't come back yet

so I turned to the two guys...

How's things? -I'm okay.

10...16 points. No way! 6...

12...13 points.

He's won again!

Hey you, artist!

You wrote this? -You

have something to say?

Yeah, I think it's a crock of sh*t.

I feel like throwing up

with your intellectual bullshit. If you

had any balls... you wouldn't be here!

Justin, man, leave it!

-It's just a lot of crap!

Please, not again.

-My mouth is mine.

I'll speak if I want to.

A mouth bigger than your brain.

What? -I said your mouth

is... -Stop it! Come on!

Look, guys,

if you want to fight, go outside!

Same goes for you too.

You hear me, Bossuet?

Jean... I want to introduce you

to Joseph. We grew up together.

She often talks about

you. It's nice to meet you.

Nice here. -You like it?

It gave me a lot of

headaches, but it was worth it.

Things seem to be

working out, don't they?

Come with me.

What can I say? Congratulations.

You're moving right up.

Sit down.

Finished my papers? -I

knew that's why you came.

Here it is... all typed.

Except your spelling mistakes.

-What mistakes? That's my style.

Thanks.

It's beautiful, what

you wrote. -Really?

I liked it...

A little rough, but...

It's just a first draft.

I would like to continue.

Do you know Mr. Csar?

He wants to help me.

Great! At last things are moving.

On the phone, you told

me you'd do it right away.

There were complications. -What?

That's not very professional

Joseph, you're not even listening.

Now you say 2 weeks.

I don't understand!

OK. I'll leave the money.

And I'll be in touch. Good-bye.

What's wrong? -Do you

recognize this book? -Yes, I do.

You don't understand?

Stand up!

Name you're accomplices!

-I don't have any, I don't know!

Joseph, answer me!

Looking for something?

Stop! You're crazy!

I'll smash your head in!

Don't think that's the end of it.

You're completely mad!

You need help, man!

You're off the rails! -Where is he?

Where is who?

Sylvain Theodor. You were with him.

Is this a joke? So

far it's not funny.

Tell me where he

is and I'll forget it.

Forget what? What's all this

sh*t? -Look, it will be a scandal.

If they find out about your

secret meetings with a torturer.

Now I don't get it. Where

is your guy? In my pocket?

You see anyone?

Exile has really gone

to your head, man.

You better go and

see your friend Hegel.

Soon you'll have a

cowboy hat and a gun.

...at Sarah's for a money transfer.

Here in New York? Why

would he come here?

Look, Hegel, I'm not an idiot!

You wouldn't know about Theodor? You

always know everything that's going on.

You're the one telling me about him.

Not only him.

I saw Wilson's car too. -So

what? -At the same place?

So, were they hugging each other?

You saw it with your own eyes?

I'll never forget the voice.

How could I forget it?

I'm sure it was him.

See this cane?

How long have I had it now?

About 8 years, right?

You talk about forgetting?

I can't even forget the smells.

The noises.

Details that you'd never think

were important. I remember them all.

Forget, you say!

I was caught after the curfew.

A jeep full of tontons

macoutes militia men.

Looking for a good time.

They beat me with a metal bar.

I fell down, crying,

begging them to stop.

Bathing in blood and excrement.

When I showed no sign of life,

they dragged me to the intersection

and ran over me with the jeep.

I was lucky they only got my leg.

Why do you tell me this now?

I've never told

that story to anyone.

What hurts the most is not

my leg. But the shame of it all.

Open up, please. -What do you want?

We're closed. Come back tomorrow.

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