“A story of dreams, migration, survival, and belonging.”
Forced to flee Haiti, a young dancer crosses borders, refugee camps, and continents in pursuit of safety and belonging, discovering along the way that art can become both a refuge and a form of resistance.
A film by Pascale Solages
Produced by Guerline Jozef, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Little Haiti BK
Synopsis
Born to Dance. Forced to Run follows the extraordinary journey of Steeven Labady, a Haitian dancer whose life has been shaped by migration, displacement, and resilience. From Haiti to the Dominican Republic, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, and beyond, Steeven navigates racism, violence, legal status uncertainty, economic precarity, and the constant search for belonging.
Throughout his journey, dance remained his anchor. More than a passion, it became a language of survival, a way to preserve his identity, process loss, and reclaim agency over a life shaped by displacement. Through movement, Steeven transforms adversity into artistic expression and survival into resistance.
Director
“I am a Haitian creator, filmmaker, feminist and human rights activist. My work is rooted in the belief that the people affected by injustice must have the power to tell their own stories.”
Pascale Solages, Writer & Director
- Genre
- Documentary film
- Writer / Director
- Pascale Solages
- Country
- United States / Haiti
- Language
- English, Haitian Creole