STATELESS

In 2013 the Supreme Court of the Dominican Republic (DR) upheld legislation that stripped citizenship from individuals of Haitian heritage born in that country. Hispaniola is a feature documentary that will take audiences on a cinematic journey through the day-to-day lives of people directly impacted by these new laws. There is Elena Lorac, a young Dominican of Haitian descent whose fall into statelessness has rendered her invisible, forced to function below the radar and avoid confrontation when attacked because of her ancestry; Amelia Deschamps is a Dominican journalist who has spoken out against these laws and unexpectedly finds herself the target of death threats from anti-Haitian right-wing nationalists; and contrasting this view is Ramón Narpier, a University professor who wishes people would better understand the kind of economic and social pressure his country faces with the constant stream of poverty stricken Haitians entering the Dominican Republic.