Chèche Lavi is a lyrical portrait of two Haitian migrants, Robens and James, who find themselves stranded at the U.S.-Mexico border with no way forward and no one to depend on but each other. The quiet, unexpected tenderness of their friendship shines in the eye of an incomprehensible geopolitical storm, even as the two men drift towards drastically different futures and a new wall rises on the horizon. “Chèche lavi” is a phrase in Haitian Creole which means “looking for life.” It is commonly used to describe the experience of migration and the search for better opportunities and is the backdrop against which the story unfolds. This is a film about longing: for a place to belong, for a stable life, for connection and companionship.
Directed by Sam Ellison, 2019, USA/Mexico/Haiti, 76 min, documentary.
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Photo credit: Courtesy Chèche Lavi
