Sweet Mickey for President
by Karen Pecota

Filmmaker Ben Patterson documents a story told in full by Pras Michel, Grammy award-winning rapper and founder of the hip-hop group the Fugees. It's a story about a special kind of love given to his fellow Haitian brothers and sisters in a time of national crisis and chaos.

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Pras Michel needed to return to his homeland. He saw first hand the grave devastation the earthquake left but what troubled him more were the results of a corrupt Haitian government. Disappointed. Michel was compelled to do something for his beloved nation and its people. He was passionate about the need to derail the Haitian Lords of corruption. Michel shares the story of his way to make this dream come true.

After talking to a fellow musician, Michel puts together a grass roots presidential campaign that builds momentum beyond his wildest dreams. His lack of experience and money did not seem to matter in his effort to rally the Haitian people to fight for justice, liberty and life. The people were ready and waiting for someone to take the lead. Michel's prized candidate for president was an unlikely character. Haiti's popular and most outlandish pop star, Michel Martelly, known as "Sweet Mickey".

Once Michel convinced Martelly that he was the perfect candidate for Haiti's next president, the two set out to fight against a corrupt government, civil unrest and the rigged election system. Their hope was to produce a government worthy of the world's first black republic. One to embrace change for the good.

The celebrity affect seemed to encourage political drama when the famous musician Wyclef Jean, Pras's former bandmate of the Fugees decides he is the better presidential candidate. He joins the race to run against Martelly. Not happy about the competition, Michel knows that the campaign journey will be a long one fighting for every vote. The two had to work hard to deal with Sweet Mickey's past offenses and it paid off.

When asked about the tone of the film, Patterson is delighted to explain that, "Everything the camera saw was just what I saw for the first time. Revealing the epic beauty and explosive human drama that is Haiti. Immensely sad. Immensely comedic. True to life as a story could be". Patterson continues when asked about what take away did he want his audience to have, "I want the audiences to know more about Haiti - the people, its politics and culture. But basically the most important message is ALL IS POSSIBLE." It captures the incredible resilience of the Haitian people says produce Karyn Rachtman.

Michel adds, "It's a story about not giving up and perseverance...and that the best is just around the corner". Winning several festival acclaim especially around the time of the Haitian presidential elections schedule for November 2015. Sweet Mickey for President is a documentary you do not want to miss. Proud Winner of the 2015 Slamdance Jury Award and Audience Award.