Christopher L. Mitchell is a Haitian-American photographer and director. He attended Pratt and F.I.T. He has been documenting Haiti in all its glory which has been his central focus since the mid 1990s, mostly in the form of still photography. In early 2000’s, he photographed child labor and women’s rights in Mali for UNICEF. He has documented the numerous facets of life in Haiti from photographing the 2010 earthquake for Save The Children, and made music videos for Haitian Artists.

Christopher’s Haitian roots run deep, especially in Jacmel where his mother and her family are originally from and many of his relatives still live today. As a child, he would visit the city at least once a year, and, as an adult, he chose to start his own family here in Jacmel. Through his personal connections to the city, he has had the rare opportunity to gain firsthand access to some of the unique individuals that contribute to Jacmel’s core essence. The annual Carnival captures the intricate history of Jacmel through its music, dance, costumes, and characters. However, cultural traditions are rapidly deteriorating in this modern, globalized world. Gentrification and a shortage of new historians interested in preserving Jacmel’s historical roots continue to threaten the city and its Carnival for future generations living in the digital realm. How are we to safeguard our exuberant history and traditions if no one is replacing the historians who keep that alive? His contribution is the documentary, Kanaval Jacmel.

He is also, working on a second documentary about vodou and the annual vodou ceremony that takes place in Gonaives, North of Haiti.