Playing part of: Nervous housewife looking for a Haitian baby to illegally adopt - neurotically navigating the Grand Rue in downtown Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Peace of Mind
Cary Cronenwett, USA, 2014, 77 min. Creole, English with English subtitles
Cary Cronenwett's portrait of the late transmale filmmaker-artist-activist Flo McGarrel is a stirring meditation on collaboration, longing and loss. While McGarrel was adapting Kathy Acker's "Kathy Goes to Haiti," which was set to star artist and actress Zackary Drucker ("Transparent"), McGarrel was killed in the 2010 Haitian earthquake. Using footage shot for the unfinished film, clips from past collaborations, and interviews with the queer Haitians McGarrel1 mentored at the FOSAJ arts center, Cronenwett imbues this fascinating documentary with lush imagery and a startlingly emotional interiority. Writer: Cary Cronenwett Cast: Zackary Drucker. In Person: L.A. Teodosio, producer & Zaka Chery Claudel, editor Screening with short Float dir. Sam Berliner, 2015, USA, 4 min An ethereal film featuring trans and genderqueer bodies underwater.
NYC at NewFest: The NYC LGBT Film Festival October 2015
indieWIRE named the film 1 of the 5 trans films to see on the summer festival circuit.
"Peace Of Mind" will have its World Premiere at Frameline39 Originally, the feature film was titled, Kathy Goes To Haiti based on the novel by Kathy Acker. Tragically, the co-director, Flo McGarrell died during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, just weeks after the short film, Kathy Goes To Haiti was wrapped. Co-Director and close friend, Cary Cronenwett decided to create a movie in honour of Flo's creative spirit and his life. It was also Cronenwett's way of dealing with the immense grief and loss of a dear collaborator and close friend.
"Peace Of Mind" is an intimate personal documentary with a hybrid structure of archival footage of Flo's life, art, films, interviews with Flo's friends, intimates, family, and colleagues. The documentary also focuses on Flo's impact as a queer and trans person on the lives of artists as well as queer, and trans identified Haitians in Jacmal, Haiti.
Flo was the director of FOSAJ Art Center in Jacmal, Haiti, a southern coastal town that was known for its artistic culture. Flo's presence and work made a transformative impact on the lives of everyone connected to the art center during his time as the director of FOSAJ.
Flo's challenges as well as his achievements during his time in Haiti are interwoven in this documentary. The documentary is beautiful and tragic. Life is precious. Flo McGarrell made a positive and expansive impact on the lives of all who knew him. His art, films, and creative Spirit continues to live on.