al'ikens Plancher's residency concludes with a public staged reading of pivotal scenes from the newly revised draft of Boat People, performed by local actors. It explores the forgotten history of Haitian refugees detained at Guantanamo Bay in the 1990s. The reading will run about 20-25 minutes and be followed by a moderated discussion that links the film’s historical events to current debates on migration, belonging, and civic responsibility.

Cast:
Cassan Francois..........Marie
Jodeen Revere............Dr. Talia Clark
Lyonel Denis................Pierre
Jean-Pierre Vertus......Louis
Jodi Eichelberger........Tom
Gordon Reinhart..........The Brigadier General
Abigail Wells................Narrator

Biography:
al’ikens Plancher is a writer-director from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He began high school at 12 and college at 16, turning away from a possible diplomatic career to pursue his childhood dream of filmmaking and represent his country through his art.

His work spans television and film, including The Chi (Showtime) and Yellowstone (Paramount), and award-winning shorts such as Remnants (HBO Best Short Film), Konpa (Tribeca Film Festival), and Boat People (Oscar®-qualified).

He has spoken at the University of California, Irvine; Florida International University; Florida Atlantic University; and the Latin American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh. His work is supported by Tribeca Studios, SFFILM Rainin Grant, Ragdale, NALIP, the Wolfsonian, Oolite Arts, Third Horizon, Surel's Place, and is a Creative Capital Awards Finalist.

His other interests are spirituality, relationships, and food.

al is also teaching a screenwriting workshop on August 22nd. Register at https://surelsplace.ludus.com/200536732