Overview:
Haitian American filmmaker Elisee Junior St. Preux traveled to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, to shoot “The Tropic Solar and His Eyes,” a movie exploring poisonous masculinity and father-son relationships. Overcoming manufacturing challenges, St. Preux constructed a neighborhood filmmaking ecosystem to deliver his imaginative and prescient to life.
Elisee Junior St. Preux, actor and self-taught filmmaker, quietly traveled to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, to movie “The Tropic Sun and His Eyes.” In a transfer acquainted to many youngsters of Haitian immigrants, he did so en cachet (in secret)—believing his mother and father wouldn’t approve. His plans have been finally revealed by a curious household pal. But the journey was price it: St. Preux got down to painting the nuanced actuality of poisonous masculinity between a Haitian father and his son, Ruben.
St. Preux started writing the movie in December 2020 and spent two years bringing it to life. “The Tropic Solar and His Eyes” follows a person confronting his psychological well being whereas journeying to reconnect along with his estranged father. Accompanied by an inquisitive little one, the narrative channels a Homer’s Odyssey-like voyage that means intergenerational therapeutic is as actual as inherited trauma.
Although born in Miami, Florida, and now based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia, St. Preux is intentional about location. Whereas Los Angeles is commonly thought of the place to be for filmmakers, he factors out Atlanta’s rising position in cinema—particularly for Black creatives. After Tyler Perry opened his historic studio within the metropolis, St. Preux moved there, drawn by each practicality and a deep non secular pull.
“You can not get that Haiti backdrop, that Haiti rust on the partitions, the structure—you can not get that wherever else however Haiti,” he mentioned.
“If we get that simple Haitian backdrop on display, we now have it for all times. Movies don’t die. You would delete it 1,000,000 locations. I promise to you, it exists in another place.”
In contrast to many movies about Haiti shot in Miami or New Orleans, St. Preux insisted on filming completely in Cap-Haïtien. The choice introduced logistical hurdles. He and producer Exodia Demosthene have been detained on the airport for 3 hours upon arrival. As soon as inside town, the group encountered a scarcity of accessible movie gear. Most productions are based mostly in Port-au-Prince, and Cap-Haïtien lacked a filmmaking ecosystem.
Undeterred, St. Preux related with Gilbert Mirambeau Jr. and Christian Aramy of Muska Group, the manufacturing firm behind “Kidnapping Inc.” He recruited college students and up to date graduates from close by faculties, assembling a neighborhood crew. The set remained open to onlookers and aspiring cinephiles, reinforcing his dedication to neighborhood and visibility.
His imaginative and prescient is evident: heal by visible storytelling. St. Preux favors a surreal lens to discover vulnerability inside Haitian households. His work helps Black males envision and expertise what it means to be hugged, understood, or just acknowledged.
“Haitian males are taught to be rock laborious, monetary suppliers, and never weak. Some received’t discuss very a lot,” he mentioned. “I need to present one thing we both dream of or really feel like shouldn’t be attainable.”
“The Tropic Solar and His Eyes” marks St. Preux’s first actual go to to Haiti. The expertise was transformative. “I realized that there’s one other a part of me that’s far more resilient and affected person than I believed. I can faucet into these issues and swim in them—endurance and resilience.”
The movie is ready for launch this summer time. St. Preux plans to display it at festivals nationwide.