The short documentary spotlighting the esoteric martial arts form, Haitian Machete Fencing, is the subject of the engrossing film, Papa Machete.
Initially screened at several international film festivals over the past two years, Papa Machete is now available for audiences online. The documentary is an intimate look at the life of “Professor” Alfred Avril, a subsistence farmer living in the mountains of Haiti who happens to be one of the few remaining masters of the mysterious martial art of Tire Machèt — Haitian machete fencing.
The film documents Avril’s proud devotion to his heritage and his struggle to keep it alive in the face of contemporary globalization. As Avril teaches about the practical and spiritual value of the machete, as both a weapon and a farmer’s key to survival, he provides a bridge between his country’s traditional past and its troubled present.
Jonathan David Kane makes his directorial debut with the film, which is the first film from Third Horizon, a Miami-based film, music and art collective that aims to explore the stories and culture of the Caribbean and the so-called “third world” with nuance, insight, and adventure. In addition, the film makes its online debut, prior to the launch of the inaugural Third Horizon Caribbean Film Festival, which takes place in Miami from September 29 to October 2.
While his devotion to his art form is documented in this film, it will serve as his enduring legacy as Avril passed away one year after the making of the film. Today, his two sons, Jean-Paul and Roland, continue the martial arts practice of their late father.
For more information about the film, click HERE, and for more information about upcoming Third Horizon Caribbean Film Festival, click HERE. visit .
Check out the critically-acclaimed short film, Papa Machete, embedded below: