Film Review: Back to Haiti, Finding Identity in Emotional ‘Lakay’

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CHICAGO – Understanding identity is a lifelong pursuit. When two U.S. immigrant brothers – and filmmakers – go back to to their native Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, they find much more than expected. Tirf Alexius and Remoh Romeo documented their journey in the new film “Lakay.”

Rating: 5.0/5.0

The documentary begins in cold Chicago, on the front porch of a multi-flat building where Alexius and Romeo first lived as kids when they moved to the urban Midwest. Alexius starts talking about his embarrassment regarding his heritage during his early years in America – he would tell people he was French or had other origins, but avoided his Haitian roots. This is the jumping-off point for the story of Alexius and Romeo, returning to their Caribbean homeland after 28 years, to find their half-brothers in the aftermath of the crushing earthquake in Haiti. In their delicate and emotional journey, the contrast of homecoming and understanding what home means becomes the energy of “Lakay.” The film is an affecting and heartfelt voyage of two souls finding something about themselves that they didn’t know existed…until they went home.

Tirf Alexius and Remoh Romeo are brothers and business partners. They have found the American dream after their humble beginnings as boys from Haiti, adapting as adults in the urban environment of Chicago. When their mother calls and informs them of the earthquake in 2010 (“Haiti is broken”), they become determined to go back to the island for the first time since they left as children, to find relatives and bring aid to the earthquake victims.

When they get to Haiti, they find a country reeling from massive destruction – the earthquake registered a catastrophic 7.0 on the Richter Scale. Government and outside aid was in disarray, and even getting around was difficult. As the brothers searched for their relatives, they found their childhood home still standing, they gained an understanding on how their fellow Haitians survive, and they created a fulfillment within themselves that they was both unexpected and rewarding.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Lakay”

Remoh Romeo and Tirf Alexius Explore Their Haitian Childhood Home in ‘Lakay’
Photo credit: 4 Features Film Co.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Lakay”