''The Agronomist'' is a
2003 American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
documentary directed by
Jonathan Demme about
Jean Dominique
Jean Léopold Dominique (31 July 1930 – 3 April 2000) was a Haitian journalist and noted activist for human rights and democracy in Haiti. His station, Radio Haiti-Inter, was the first to broadcast news, investigative reporting, and politic ...
. The documentary follows the life of Dominique, who ran
Haiti's first independent radio station,
Radio Haiti-Inter
Radio Haiti-Inter was the first independent radio station in Haiti. The station was notable for its use of the Haitian Creole language, spoken by most Haitians, while most other media broadcast in French, and also for its broadcasting of internatio ...
, during multiple repressive regimes.
Summary
The titular Agronomist is Jean Leopold Dominique, owner of
Radio Haiti-Inter
Radio Haiti-Inter was the first independent radio station in Haiti. The station was notable for its use of the Haitian Creole language, spoken by most Haitians, while most other media broadcast in French, and also for its broadcasting of internatio ...
, Haiti's first independent radio station. The documentary consists of historical footage and personal interviews director Jonathan Demme conducted years earlier with Dominique.
The film follows Dominique's career as a broadcaster from the founding of Radio Haiti-Inter in 1960 focusing on injustice and promoting democracy for the masses, resulting in clashes with the ruling regimes and Dominique's eventual assassination. Following his death, his wife and fellow journalist,
Michèle Montas, broadcast from the station for another three years. Radio Haiti-Inter ceased operations in 2003.
Reception
''The Agronomist'' was shown on May 3, 2004 at the UN Headquarters in NYC while observing
World Press Freedom Day
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day or just World Press Day, observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the righ ...
. There were no seats vacant for the showing at noon.
The film received favorable reviews by critics. It received a 96% "fresh" rating on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
Praise focused on the use of historical footage combined with interviews.
Box office receipts totaled $226,189 in 21 theaters in the U.S.
Home media
The film was released on DVD on June 7, 2005 with English and French spoken language tracks, and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
DVD Release Date
Amazon.com
See also
* Reporters Without Borders
References
External links
Radio Caraibes FM 94.5 live from Port au Prince Haiti, Haitian Radio stations
Find all Haitian radio Stations.
*
Official trailer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agronomist
2003 films
Documentary films about historical events
Documentary films about journalists
Documentary films about politicians
Documentary films about radio people
Films directed by Jonathan Demme
Films set in Haiti
Collage film
Radio in Haiti
Works about Haiti