Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christopher Mitchell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Christopher , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
For more than a decade, I’ve been deeply engaged in the production of two impactful documentaries centered around the rich cultural tapestry of Haiti. The first documentary delves into the profound spiritual journey of an annual Vodou pilgrimage in the northern region of Haiti, Souvenance, capturing the essence of tradition, spirituality, and community that define this sacred event. The second documentary explores the vibrant history and cherished traditions of Carnival in my mother’s hometown; Jacmel, offering an intimate portrayal of the colorful festivities, historical significance, and cultural heritage embedded within this celebrated Haitian tradition. These projects have not only been a labor of love but also a testament to my commitment to preserving and sharing the diverse cultural narratives that make Haiti such a unique and dynamic place.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an artist, photographer and film director. One of my main focuses is showing Haiti in a positive light. My dad taught me everything he knew about photography when I was 16. He gave me his camera and my mom was my first model. I studied so many photographers, techniques, styles, film/developer combinations, cameras, formats, and publications (magazines, books, galleries, museums, etc). Even when I didn’t have assignments I’d give myself personal assignments sometimes with restrictions to work on. Being an artist isn’t a choice. It’s not a switch you can just turn off. I have exposed myself to some of the most beautiful subjects and worst human conditions possible. What I bring is a unique perspective from my experience. As a father, artists should be using their talents to make the world better for future generations. At the end of the day, I bring my life experience to every project I work on.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
On January 12th 2010, while I was in Jacmel, Haiti when the earthquake happened. Many members of my family pleaded with me to come back to the states, but I did not want to. I felt like I would be running away from the situation. My father was the only one who did not argue with me about coming back and told me to be safe, do what I had to do and to use my camera for good. Shortly after I was contacted by a local organization that asked me to document the situation in our town in order to use the images to help get their sponsors to send aid. People were writing me asking me to check on their loved ones. Some people found out their loved ones were safe from my photos that I would post on social media. Eventually, I took a motorcycle to the capital to check on friends and family that I could not reach. I documented the whole journey. I could have easily left the country, but I decided to stay and help out organization, translation, documenting the aid they would give. It was all out of love for Haiti. It was one of the worst things I had to see in my life. No one should ever experience so much death. It gave me a different prescriptive and how life is so fragile and everything after that is a blessing.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve documented death and when I became a father I got to document birth. Everything else is in between. I’ve documented the spirituality of Souvenance which is over two centuries old. the traditions of Kanaval Jacmel. My goal is to promote the importance and beauty of Haiti and to break the stigmas and humanize vodou culture of Souvenace, Haiti.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thechristophermitchell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neoero/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1mr2-Ukc_ilViM1_nyaHvg