Journey Arts presents MIWA | Talie and Lunise Cerin

Talk about tradition

Speaking with BSR for this piece, Lunise explains how the documentary portion of MIWA aims to draw connections between the day-to-day lives of Haitian-Americans and the broader Haitian culture. “The focus of the documentary is Haitian tradition. I'm in community with a lot of Haitian Americans who feel less connected to their Haitian identity or feel less connected, less connected to the culture. I can witness certain things that they do that feel very Haitian. So I wanted to make a documentary that kind of observed Haitian traditions, Haitian practices in Haiti, and then try to find those traces in the diaspora with my camera.”

Shot in Haiti over the course of a year, MIWA documents a variety of traditional celebrations and ceremonies, then follows five Haitian women in Philadelphia as they practice these traditions here in the US. The film not only provides a gorgeous, intimate look into the lives of these women, it reminds us that our culture and core values can ground us regardless of where we are.

The exhibit at Icebox will showcase scenes from the film and will be accompanied by a performance from Lunise’s sister, Taile, a guitarist and composer who wrote the film's music. Combining traditional Haitian folk music with American soul, Talie wrote new arrangements for the performance that will be played by an ensemble including vocalists, percussion, bass, saxophone, flute, a string trio, cello, violin, and viola.

“I play guitar and I sing, and I usually have, like, bass and percussion with me, but I was like, what if we had strings?” Talie explains. “What would my music sound like, just a little more lush and if I really broaden these arrangements?”

When asked what they hope viewers will get out of the exhibit, Lunise explains that the core purpose of MIWA is to engender understanding and solidarity.

“Joy would be the first thing. I really think of this as a celebration and just an invitation to understand us a little bit better. And that goes first and foremost, always to the Haitian-American community, our Haitian community here in Philadelphia. But anybody who wants to be in solidarity and love and understanding of Haiti more, who wants to come and just see what we're about, and kind of get a more tactile feeling, exposure to who we are as a people.“