Haitian Woman Judged by Bible Instead of Law Focus of Documentary ‘Job 1:21,’ Winner of Visions du Réel Award
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By Lise Pedersen
Published on April 25, 2026.
Haitian filmmaker Samuel Suffren's debut feature film, "Job 1:21," has won one of the top prizes at the Visions du Réel Award at Switzerland's leading documentary film festival. The film follows the story of a woman who was imprisoned for years without trial and later judged not by law, but by scripture, in an attempt to protest Haiti's justice system. The main character, Nathalie, is judged in absentia using a biblical text instead of the law, which is based on a local myth about a child-killing, cannibalistic werewolf. Despite leaving Haiti in 2024 due to violence, Suffren left the country after violence forced his filmmaking collective to shut down and his daily life became difficult. The project is currently seeking post-production work, with additional sound work still needed to capture the singing voice of the central character.
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