By Kristen Hernandez
When love crosses borders, some cultures still consider marrying outside their own as forbidden. Unexpected Love, a film written by local Haitian American, Aly Laveaux, and co-written with his Nigerian American wife, Obiandju Sundra, is loosely based on the real-life challenges they faced when they fell in love and defied the cultural stigma.
During two years of production coronavirus caused on set drama in the form of production shutdown, illness, social distancing and last-minute recasting issues, but Unexpected Love finally premiered in December at Fort Lauderdale’s historic Savor Cinema, located at 503 SE 6th street.
“Love has no barriers. It’s one universal language,” said Abdias Laguerre, Director of the film. “The project was conceived 3 years ago. Then the entire cast and crew ended up getting Covid. Every two weeks, every single crew and cast member had to get tested. But even with everyone being sick at different times throughout production and a two-week shutdown, we rose above those challenges, just like the main characters of the movie.”
Unexpected Love is the first film of its kind, filmed on location in each country, and celebrates the stand against the cultural taboo of marriage “outside” races. Using native Nigerian and Haitian crew and actors, including the first Haitian swimmer to compete in the Olympics, Naomy Grand ‘Pierre, as the female lead, “Marie”, set Unexpected Love above most indie films.
Right before filming, the actor playing the lead character, “Jean”, was too sick to continue the role. Local Haitian actor, Athlet “Flav Gabel” St. Fleur, stepped in just three days before filming was scheduled. While on location in Haiti, St. Fleur had two days to memorize the script and brought raw chemistry to his characters’ interactions with Grand ‘Pierre.
“I thought I did a bad job,” said St. Fleur, during the screening. “The very first scene we shot was a kissing scene, and we had just met. I received the script on a Sunday and rehearsal was on Monday. It was crazy but this project became our baby.”
Critically acclaimed Nigerian actress and co-star, Stella Demasus, played Marie’s mom, “Nneka”, spoke about being diagnosed with Covid and returning to set. “The crew made me so comfortable, and Aly was able to get me to let my guard down,” Demasus said. “It was a beautiful project. I’ve never seen these two cultures brought together in this way.”
The merging of Haitian and Nigerian cultures was what made Unexpected Love stand out from most independent films. For any young adult, defying their parents’ cultural expectations can be terrifying, and especially so in Nigeria. Typically, Nigerian marriages are arranged, and fathers of eligible daughters expect prospective husbands to be of high cultural status, such as in politics or medicine. Although a lot of Haitian culture comes from Nigerian immigration, Nigerians still frown upon marriage between the two nations.
“It’s about one love,” said Dr. Guerda Nicolas, Chair and co-founder of Ayiti Community Trust and professor at University of Miami. “Haiti is the most African country in the Caribbean and has a clear connection to Nigeria and Ghana. It’s lovely to see support for the actors of those nations.”
Unexpected Love is now available to stream through various platforms. Visit the film’s website for details on how to watch a true celebration of cross-cultural love that defies the taboo.
