Film

The populist Demme found a kindred spirit in Tyrone Hayes, a crusading UC Berkeley biologist who became the target of a corporate smear campaign when he exposed the link between a widely used herbicide and a genetic mutation in frogs. His story is a rousing David-versus-Goliath tale that touches on issues of race, environmental degradation, and moral responsibility.

Haiti Dreams of Democracy
Dirs. Jonathan Demme & Jo Menell, 1988
Demme’s lifelong love for the people and culture of Haiti shines through in this freewheeling documentary, which captures a key moment in the country’s history as citizens celebrate the recent overthrow of the authoritarian Duvalier regime and express cautious hope for a democratic future. Music is the film’s beating heart, with performances from street drummers, a politically charged rap group, and legendary protest singer Manno Charlemagne threaded throughout.