Stay with Me is a gripping short film inspired by true events, aiming to spark conversations about compassion and change. While fictional, it stands in solidarity with victims of gun violence.
Grayson, a thoughtful teenager, is haunted by the recent shooting of his friend, Christian, and fears for his mother’s safety. This story resonates deeply with me, as I lost my Sunday School teacher to gun violence at age seven and my aunt in Haiti when I was eighteen.
Stay with Me honors these influential figures in my life. We’re nearing completion but need your help with color grading, sound design, and our film festival run.
Join our crowdfunding campaign! We’re seeking donations in multiples of twenty: $20, $40, $60, $80, $1000… Every contribution counts.
Donate via Zelle to staywithme.shortmovie@gmail.com.
You can also pre-order merchandise or be part of our film. Your support means the world to us!
Professor Makes History at Miami Dade College by Being a 1st
Professor Makes History at Miami Dade College by Being the 1st
Appeared on the TODAY Show
When you live with purpose on purpose the Universe carves a path for you to empower others. On Monday December 11th, 2023 we (NABJ South Florida) appeared on the TODAY show became of our community to our community in being a Gateway not Gatekeepers, by building bridges and not barriers, because we only fail in this life when we fail to uplift one another”
Stay in touch
In Port-au-Prince, a teenage boy investigates his best friend's murder and uncovers a political conspiracy that threatens the future of Haiti.
What You Do for Who You Love Reveals Who You are
Author and filmmaker, Yanatha Desouvre, talks about his new film, The Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story based on his novel "Revelations: Roads to Redemption." The Sweetest Girl is a compelling and provocative love story, set in Haiti.
“Representation is so important to mental health because you get to see yourself, especially being Black and brown, in a nonstereotypical role and in a positive role. So this is really for the next generation to inspire them to see the light and the value within themselves,” he adds.
Miami Dade College entrepreneurship professor Yanatha Desouvre believes that when it comes to African-American cinema in general, and Haitian-American films in particular, there’s something sorely missing.
“People are hungry for authentic stories of people of color, Black people specifically in Miami, and authentic Haitian stories that have never been told before or are told in a different way,” says Desouvre.
His answer to that: the short film, “The Sweetest Girl,” which explores a forbidden love affair, a crumbling marriage, and the dynamics that come into play from both. It deliberately stays away from tropes often reserved for people of color, he says, and presents the dynamics of an everyday family, which is many times taken for granted in mainstream movies.
Secrets Can Be Dangerous….
The Sweetest Girl
BE a Part of this extraordinary film
With the recent record breaking election of President Joe Bidden and Vice President Kamala Harris we see America is hungry for our leaders to reflect our diversity. The same goes for television and film. My childhood friends and I have answered that call and become intentional about representation in front of and behind the camera with The Sweetest Girl. The film is a partial adaptation of the novella I wrote and published titled: Revelations : Roads to Redemption - which pays homage to Wyclef's discography and honors timeless Haitian proverbs.
Honoring my late aunt Micheline Coulanges, who was a victim of gun violence in Haiti, in 1996, The Sweetest Girl is not only deeply personal to me and my heritage, but expresses universal and transcendent themes of love, hope and redemption.
When I was younger, I had a bout with mental health and was suicidal. I wanted to take my own life. However, when Wyclef Jean came onto the music scene, he saved my life. His intention about representation saved my life. Co-writing and Producing The Sweetest Girl with my life long brothers, and amazing cast and crew is my way of showing a deep sense of gratitude to Wyclef. A way of giving the living legend his flowers while he is still alive.
Warning this may have some triggering words, I apologize in advance. When I was younger, I was ready to die, my aol chat password was, "DieB21!" because of what I was witnessed on TV/Film as a young Black boy and experienced growing up in the concrete jungles of Brooklyn, New York in 80's from my Sunday school teacher being shot and killed and at the age of 7 years old ,and at 9 years old I survived a barbershop shooting. When Wyclef Jean and the Fugees came onto the music scene, his and their intentions about representation saved my life.
Our latest short film, a SAG signatory, The Sweetest Girl, my our love letter to Wyclef for inspiring to reach and do better because #RepresentationMatters. So that no one adolescent that looks that looks like me will have ever have to think of such a devastating password.
Experience the On Set Experience with the Cast & Crew Below
Genji Jacques shares his experience on the set of the Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story which is now in Post-Production. Be a part of the special thank you credits, earn a signed copy of the novel "Revelations: Roads to Redemption" and a t-shirt with a powerful message of freedom on there with a $100 pledge on indiegogo https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-sweetest-girl-a-forbidden-love-story-film--5
A word from Sandra Justice who took on the role of Margaret Goodman in The Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story
#SandraJustice #love #talent #Haitian #Florida #Boston #NewYork #Brooklyn #Haiti #Actor #BossLady #Miami #Artist #Relationships
On the set of The Sweetest Girl with Ayomi Russell as April Andrelie Ayomi Russell shares her experience on the set of the Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story which is now in Post-Production.
Feeling Upset? Try This Special Writing Technique
Desouvre featured in Wall Street Journal
‘Expressive writing’—recording your deepest thoughts in short sessions—can help relieve stress and boost health
By Elizabeth Bernstein
May 31, 2020 9:00 am ET
Below is an excerpt
“When he was 9, he says he survived a shooting in a barbershop in Brooklyn. He had nightmares about it over the years, but tried not to focus on it. He started writing about it, then kept going. He wrote about growing up poor in New York and Philadelphia and about his grandfather’s death.
It helped. As Mr. Desouvre wrote, he asked himself how he felt about the traumas of his life and what they revealed about him. It was painful, he says. “But when I acknowledged the pain, I was able to see the courage I didn’t know I had,” he says.
He thinks of his expressive writing as a captain’s log—a recording of what happened and what he’s learned. Sometimes he jots down just a few sentences. But he always starts with “the tough stuff” and then writes about how he’s grown from the experience.
Recently, he’s been writing in a notebook he’s labeled “spring of 2020,” recording the stress of wrestling with germs, loss, misinformation, and his kids’ home schooling during the pandemic. But he’s also written about what he has gained: more time with his family, and perspective.
“My expressive writing gave me the courage to face my fears,” he says. “And I believe it has helped me discover the hope I need to heal and process the pain and hurt and to celebrate and be grateful for those awesome moments.”
For the complete article visit below
https://www.wsj.com/articles/feeling-upset-try-this-special-writing-technique-11590930000
EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE WORLDS FINEST GUITARIST
THE LATE DANIEL COULANGES
CLICK BELOW AND DOWNLOAD IT NOW
ARTIST RECORDS UNFORGETTABLE DUET WITH LATE UNCLE
Desouvre releases an album and a duet 30 years in the making with lost footage from his late uncle with a profound message
Media
Featured in the New York Daily News: CARIBBEAT: Haiti-born pianist and his late uncle Daniel Charles Coulanges are reunited through newly created duet performance by Jared McCallister
Desouvre is on a mission to remind world of late uncle’s talent for guitar playing
"Besides his literary endeavors, the author is also working on a personal project—that of bringing the work of the late guitarist Daniel Coulanges to a wider audience"
Desouvre Hopes to Raise HIV Awareness With Album of Lost Footage From His Late Uncle
Yanatha Desouvre - Godfather's Music
Yanatha Desouvre has a passion for music and more Yanatha tells a story about a recent find and the hopes to resurrect a forgotten talent Listen to Yanatha tell a story about a recent find and the hopes to resurrect a forgotten talent recently featured in WLRN @NPR Affiliate #DanielCoulanges #ThePublicStoryTeller #WLRN reserve your copy of the limited album and much more today
Speaker and Best Selling Author
Desouvre, is a best selling author, marketing professor, performance poet and a recent TEDx motivational speaker who will immediately capture your audience’s heart and mind while positively impacting their lives. His determined, distinctive yet very simple approach on life will resonate with the audience long after his program has ended.
Top 3 reasons to book Yanatha Desouvre:
The immediate positive impact of his powerful performance poetry
You want to listen to his actionable and effective steps of leadership
He’s an engaging figure who wide range of audience types loves to hear from.
Desouvre has a list of credentials in the Spoken Word and Literally community and he is humbled by every opportunity that he has been given to share his work and inspire others. Desouvre is a seasoned IT professional who has successfully incorporated his IT expertise into his creative work. As a season spoken word poet, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and as a best selling published author, it will be an honor for Desouvre to share his experiences and simple ways to your group on how to empower themselves to reach their full potential.
Seasoned Information Technology Professional
For twenty plus progressive years Desouvre is passionate about serving others through technology and the arts. Desouvre supports multiple platform environments, Mac, Win, iOS, Android throughout his technical career. Desouvre is well versed on how iOS devices work for Education and Business. Desouvre had created several successful mobile apps. He has been mentored by and has mentored some of the best in the IT and entertainment industries.
Yanatha Desouvre, a prolific author, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, reared in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Philadelphia, P.A. Desouvre is a seasoned IT professional. With his practical, and relevant teaching philosophy Professor Desouvre has taught IT courses at Chestnut Hill College which led to him write the textbook, An Essential Guide to Windows 10. He also teaches Principles of Marketing and Marketing in a Digital World at Miami Dade College. Other books written Desouvre are: “Walk Through this Journey: Volume One and Two (The Next Step Forward);” “A Family Affair;” Savor the Moments, Proud to Be, To Whom Much is Given, Revelations: Roads to Redemption and his number one best-selling children's book “Big Sister, Little Sister, (also available in French, Spanish and Haitian Creole)” now on amazon.com. Professor Desouvre released the “Walk Through this Journey: Volume One” and Savor the Moments audiobooks, available through iTunes, Google Play, and various other online musical outlets.
Specializes in Higher Education, HDI Certified, Dell Desktop & Laptop Certified, Developed for Google's Android and Apple's iOS Expert on the macOS (10.x-10.11.x) and MS Windows 7,8, and Windows 10, Ubuntu Linux, Group Policies Voice/Data Networking, Backup devices, Adobe and Office Suites, Exchange Symantec Ghost. Help Desk Supervision, MS Active Directory, BlackBoard SCCM and ITIL.