In 2024, seven years after Irma, Temiti Clarke chose to recount the cyclone as she remembered it: through the solidarity and kindness of the inhabitants. His documentary “Together: in the eye of the storm”, selected from 11 international festivals et six times awarded, highlights a resilience born in the midst of disaster. Nine years after the hurricane, it makes available for free on YouTube.
Temiti Clarke was 14 years old when Irma struck Saint Martin. That night, she takes refuge in a room with his father and grandparents. To withstand the wind, furniture is piled up against the doors. Outside and inside, everything is torn down.transformed by the power of the cyclone.
keep it positive
When, years later, she tries to tell IrmaIt's not the damage that occupies the most space in his memories. "We went through something serious, but strangely enough, it's those evenings eating canned food together, by flashlight, singing to the sound of the guitar that I remember." It's those memories of mutual support and resilience that she wished to convey in her 26-minute documentary.
“The TV reports about Irma often only focus on pathos and sadness. They lack that human element we experienced,” explains Temiti. Made for her film degree, “Together” blends his personal experience with archive footage from the local channel IOTV, where she completed an internship, and to footage by Agnès Etchegoyen. The film revisits the disaster, but above all, on the positive impact that the cyclone revealed according to her.
From Saint-Martin to world festivals
Sent to numerous festivals, the film is selected for 11 festivals à Los Angeles, Athens, London or, New YorkHe wins in total six prizesincluding that of the “best inspirational film” at Top Shorts Film Festival Los Angeles in April.
At 24, Temiti reflects on how far she has come. Born in Polynesia and arrived in Saint-Martin at age 3She left the island after Irma to continue her high school in GuadeloupeShe then studies the cinema in Montreal, then theaudiovisual in Montpellierwhere she made her first fiction film.
She now wishes passing on his experience to young people from Saint-Martin. “I want to show that it is is it possible to work in this field if you come from an island?She encourages "audacity" and dare to contact professionals to create opportunities.
Now free to distribute it after its festival run, she puts “Ensemble” on YouTube for free, to to give this story back to those who lived it with herHer next project may take place in Australia, where she plans to travel, observe, and search for new stories to tell.
Link to the documentary: https://youtu.be/fUpMSG046ME?si=yalsaFkwpwRHc2ox
