Have A Taste Of Haitian Martial Art Tire Machet With The Teaser For PAPA MACHETE

There are a small number of martial arts born out of slavery around the world. Brazil's capoeira - taught and transmitted for generations as a dance to avoid notice by the slave masters - is the most famous of these but in Haiti there is a little known art known as tire machet, a discipline created by fusing traditional African stick fighting disciplines with elements of European swordplay with the results being a key factor in allowing the rebellion of Haitian slaves against their Napoleonic masters to stand as one of the only - if not the only - successful slave rebellions in history.

Tire machet is the subject of Jonathan David Kane's short documentary film Papa Machete and while I missed the film when it played in the Toronto International Film Festival - serves me right for not looking deeply enough into the shorts programs - there is a stellar teaser online to whet the appetite.

200 years ago, the slaves of Haiti defeated Napoleon's armies with the very tool they used to work the land: the machete. Papa Machete explores the esoteric martial art that evolved from this victory through the practice and life of 'Professor' Alfred Avril, a poor, aging farmer who is one of the art's few remaining masters. The film documents his proud devotion to his heritage and his battle to keep it alive. It's a revelation of the proud history behind the bitter poverty of modern Haiti, and will forever change how you view this ravaged island.