Bridgeport, January 2008. A teenage girl is found hanged in her room. While everything points to suicide, the autopsy report reveals something else. Ten years later, the director and cousin of the teenager examine the past causes and future consequences of this unsolved crime. Like an imagined biography, the film will explore the relationship between the security of the living space and the violence that can jeopardize it.
“Cette Maison” is a unique documentary spanning Haiti to Connecticut and Quebec, Canada. Shot on 16mm film, the cinematography looks like a lost artifact unearthed in a time capsule. Writer/Director Miryam Charles did the project to examine and possibly heal from the tragic death of her young cousin Tessa previously in 2008. In voiceover, Tessa describes her time in Haiti and America before her life was cut short at just 14 years old.
Charles blends sets and outdoor locations, amplifying different perspectives and fractured memories. The settings recalled Lars Von Trier’s stripped-down production of “Dogville.” Charles also showcases a copious amount of house plants symbolizing being uprooted and expected to thrive in an unwelcoming environment. I was lost during a few interpretative scenes, but I was still moved. Whether or not you can follow the events of ‘Cette Maison,’ it is meaningful seeing a creative filmmaker employing original techniques to explore colonialism.
“Cette Maison” had its World Premiere at this year’s 72nd Berlinale Film Festival
