This photograph was taken in Haiti last October. I was there working on a series of short documentary films related to water safety and conditions in general. We had been filming in an area called Fond Brache which was up in the hills and had been particularly hit hard by the earthquake in January of 2010. The area is also extremely susceptible to flooding from Haiti's persistent rains. This girl and several of her friends were intensely curious about our work, and playfully followed us as we moved with camera and sound equipment across some complicated terrain. We felt welcomed and uplifted by them. There was also an intensity to her gaze and knowing smile which was quite powerful, and to which I couldn't help but be drawn to visually. Towards the end of our filming, she and several of her friends sang for us. While we did not understand the words at the time, when I was back in New York editing, I had the Creole translated and the lyrics were entirely about children being the future of a country, and how we need to both protect and invest in them, otherwise we will regret.
