On Demand

Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguan Valley

by Jesse Freeston

When a 21st century coup d'état ousts the only president they ever believed in, these Honduran farmers take over Facussé's plantations ... with no plans to ever give them back.

2015 · 1h32m · Canada, Honduras

English, Espanol

English, Espanol subs

About the Film

The morning of June 28th, 2009. The people of Honduras are preparing to vote in their first-ever referendum. The proposition is to write a new constitution, and a ‘yes’ vote could dramatically transform the country. Three-quarters of Hondurans weren’t even alive the last time an elected government was overthrown in Central America, yet they awake to find soldiers everywhere and reports that President Manuel Zelaya has been kidnapped by the military.

A nation-wide movement, known simply as ‘The Resistance,’ rises in opposition. RESISTENCIA: THE FIGHT FOR THE AGUAN VALLEY follows the protagonists behind the most daring wing of the movement, the farmers of the Aguan Valley. Not satisfied with marching and blocking highways, the farmers take over the palm oil plantations of Miguel Facussé, the country’s largest landowner and a key player in the coup. The camera follows three members of the movement over the four-year period between their takeover of the plantations and the elections they hope will restore democracy.

The power of land is observed in both the transformation seen in the lives of those that take it, as well as in the violence unleashed by the man that loses it. For the first time in their lives, the farmers find themselves with no boss and plenty of fertile land on which to build their dream community. Meanwhile, roughly every two weeks a member of the movement is gunned-down by Facussé’s hitmen.

Looking for a long-term solution, many of the farmers join the Resistencia’s new political party. But are the same forces that overthrew the last elected president prepared to hand power back in an election?

Upcoming Screenings

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Festivals and Awards

2015

Social Justice Film Festival, Seattle, Winner, Best Feature

In the Press

Review

Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguán Valley

Belén Fernández Warscapes

Review

Resistance in Honduras Alive and Jumping

David SwansonCounterPunch

Interview

Jesse speaks about his latest documentary Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguan Valley

Latin Waves Media

Editor

Abraham Lifshitz

Producer

Jesse Freeston and Diego Briceno

Sound Editor

René Portillo

Animator

Billy Buntin

Soundtrack Composer

Stefan Christoff

About the Director

Jesse Freeston

Jesse Freeston makes videos and other vectors for spreading stories out of his home base in Montreal.

As a freelance shooter-editor he has worked for a variety of platforms including: Vice News, La Planète S’invite au Parlement, Politico, 60 Second Docs (Winner of the 2019 Webby Award for Best Documentary Video Channel) and as a member of the media team of the Wet’suwet’en Nation.

As a filmmaker, Jesse is an active member of the Makila co-operative where he co-organizes regular story development incubators, the annual Cuban Hat Pitch at the RIDM, and contributes as a shooter or editor on the projects of fellow filmmakers. Ever since the 2009 military coup d’état Jesse has worked extensively in Honduras where he directed two independent documentary films: Revolutionary Medicine: A Story of the First Garifuna Hospital and Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguan Valley.

Before falling in love with cinema Jesse worked as a video-journalist for teleSUR and The Real News Network. When not behind a lens or in front of a screen, Jesse is a devout basketball player, mediocre improv performer, and co-host of the podcast Where Is Now.