Song of a Seer

Haitian poet, critic and actor Dominique Batraville rummages through a seemingly endless library of literature and curiosities while drifting between recitations, musings and memories in a hypnotizing stream-of-consciousness mode. Something of an intellectual hoarder, Batraville has made his cramped Port-au-Prince home into a treasure trove of beautiful objects and beautiful ideas that he generously shares with director Aïda Maigre-Touchet, who in turn crafts an impressionistic filmic work of graceful minimalism. Navigating the limitations of the space, she lets small details take on their own power as Batraville’s past, the history he has lived through, and the essence of his spirit all come into view. From excerpts of poetry to intimate recollections to amusing anecdotes—including when Batraville travelled to the Cannes Film Festival with the Michelange Quay film L’évangile du cochon créole in 2004—Song of a Seer takes a refreshingly unusual approach to creating a portrait of an artist, an approach that conjures an entirely off-screen world. This delicate documentary reveals the immense and intangible qualities lurking beneath surfaces and points to the infinite space of the human mind. — Adam Cook