Mountains

Tender portrait of a Haitian immigrant family in Miami, facing housing insecurities in a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood. Xavier dreams of buying a bigger house for him and his wife Esperance. Meanwhile, their son struggles to find his place in not one but two communities, while dealing with his father’s immense expectations.

Xavier works in demolition and dreams of buying a new house for his wife Esperance, who works as a seamstress. Together with their son Xavier Jr. they live in Little Haiti, a vibrant enclave in Miami that’s home to tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants. As Little Haiti lies 10 feet above sea level, it is protected from major flooding in the future. That’s why it has caught the eye of developers and real estate agents. As a result, the community is being slowly chipped away by gentrification.  

Xavier Sr. and Esperance are very active in their local community. They participate in street parades, communions, and games of dominoes. Their adult son Xavier Jr., however, moved back home after he dropped out of college. His Haitian background serves as material for a nightly stand-up routine that his parents know nothing about. For Xavier Sr., his slowly changing circumstances don’t stop him from striving for a better future for himself and Esperance. Like he says: ‘Let’s do a little dreaming together, love.’