a1095: Re: a1088: Haiti in Japan (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: kevin pina <kpinbox@hotmail.com>



Frantz Lamonthe, what a blast from the past. I remember when this
extraordinary artist and friend consented to be my driver/translator in July
of 1991. I had been invited to film the exhumation of 139 peasants in Jean
Rabel who had been slaughtered by local thugs and Macoutes at the behest of
the Lucas and Poinvienne families. Aristide sent special troops to guard the
exhumation as the local grandon families threatened to make the first
massacre look like a picnic if they went through with the reburial. Prior to
this, families of the victims would search for the unmarked graves in vain
only to be arrested and beaten by the Chef du Section. Frantz was so
overtaken by the experience that when we returned to PAP he stayed up for 48
hours painting what was to be the first in a very well known series of
canvases about Jean Rabel.

Frantz also helped me during the first two weeks of the coup. One night we
took a Peruvian camera crew with us and hung out with a military tank crew
stationed in Petionville.  We bought them rum to loosen them up and filmed
their antics into the wee hours of the morning. Talk about gros gran!!! Just
after I left, the new military dictatorship had had enough of Frantz and
beat him pretty badly forcing him into exile in France. What an amazing man
and exceptional talent. I am so grateful to hear he is doing well. Hats off
to you Frantz!!


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