Pierre Desir

Pierre Hermann L. Desir Jr. is an American filmmaker, artist, and professor, currently working as a Lecturer at the University of California, San Diego. After he attended Davies College in London and traveled through Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Desir realized his passion for art and teaching. In art, he started with painting, moved to sculpting, and after a brief period of dabbling in journalism, he transitioned into film, receiving his MFA in Motion Picture Production at University of California, Los Angeles. He then moved back to sculpting while filming his process. In teaching, he started with arts and crafts as well as sculpting and moved into higher education after attending UCLA. One of his biggest challenges as a Haitian American filmmaker is the reception of his work due to the fact that it is highly experimental.

Pierre Desir’s parents were married in the 1940s. Desir was born to Pierre Hermann Desir Sr. who is Haitian and Nicolina Melchionna, who is Italian. Desir was born in Jersey Cityhospital where his mother worked, though his family was living in Harlem at the time. Very soon after his family moved to Jamaica, Queens, Long Island where Pierre spent his childhood. He was considered illegal in some states in the Union because of his racial heritage. His father, worked at the Haitian Delegation of the UN there in Parkway Village. It was because he lived there that he was able to make friends from all over the world, which was very different than the rest of the country, which was segregated. When he was 10 years old, his parents wanted to move to the country, so they bought a farm in upstate NY.

Desir attended Jamaica High School in Jamaica, NY.^[1] When 18, he left to go to school at Davies College in London, receiving a C.Ed. European Literature and History, in 1987.. After travelling through Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, he came back to the US, and worked various entry level positions and taught arts & crafts as well as ceramics to the mentally disturbed in Astoria, Queens,and taking classes in painting, ceramics, and sculpting at the School of Visual Arts, New York. He then went to Queens College, where he received a BA in African Studies in 19979. He then received his Masters in African History at UCLAInstead of studying for a PhD l he switched over to the MFA program and received his MFA in Film at UCLA in 1992.

Desir always has been artistic, and his mom and sister have always been supportive of him. His brother is supportive but critical, and his dad was disappointed in his choice to pursue art instead of Journalism, but still proud of him. In art, he started in painting, moved to sculpting, realized that he wanted his sculptures to move, moved onto film, and now he works mostly filming his process of making sculptures. Desir has struggled as a filmmaker financially, His film work is very experimental, even more so in his later work. Because of the strong experimental aspect his work is not well received, and it is often very hard for him to get it into festivals. It usually takes him years to complete his works.

He is a very pedantic person, but tries not to make his work pedantic. When he tried putting a political message into his work, he didn’t enjoy his work. He is inspired by Felonious Monk, who had a hard time being accepted as a jazz musician. He resents that as an African American, society expects him to deal with struggle in his work and it is liberating to him to refrain from engaging in the debate. He would like the public to appreciate his work, but it is not his goal to please the public. He was raised Catholic, but now he most closely relates to Buddhism, and closely puts weight in the idea of reincarnation. He also connects strongly with Vudun the West African origin of Voodoo and Native American mythology and tradition. His biggest influences in his work, in terms of style are Thelonious Monk, Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh. He also appreciates and adapts the techniques of Keith Jarrett.

L.A. Rebellion

He was on the outskirts of the L.A. Rebellion, with most of the big players having left before he got to UCLA.^[2] The LA Rebellion emerged at the time of a political awakening, when African Americans, Latinos, and others realized that the American Dream was not true.^[3] There were exaggerated demands on the system, and the system pushing back. He was drawn into the movement during his time at UCLA because of his interest in film. He helped others with their work too, helping shoot and work on their films. In that way he was one of the unsung heroes of the rebellion, with his work challenging to digest, he has been able to gain recognition through the work of his colleagues.

He was inspired to become a professor by teaching mentally disturbed individuals in Astoria, Queens. In 2008, he and another black professor were denied tenure at Emerson College while all of the white candidates were granted tenure, this sparked an investigation by the NAACP because they believed that the denial was a product of racial discrimination.^[5][6]

• Visiting Lecturer. Department of Communication, University of California, San Diego. 2012 to present.^[7]
• Visiting Artist & Lecturer. Department of Communications, Dillard University. 2010.
• Assistant Professor. Department of Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College. 2002-09.^[8]
• Assistant Professor. Department of Cinema and Photography, Park School of Communications, Ithaca College. 1992-2002.^[9]
• Teaching Assistant. Department of Theater, Film and Television, UCLA. 1984-87.
• Teacher. Los Angeles County Juvenile Courts. 1989-90.
• Lecturer. City University, Queens College. 1981.
• Teaching Assistant. Martin de Porres School. 1971-76.

Year	Film Title	Role	Notes
In Progress	Thelonious: Unknown Experiments in Flight Part 2	Director	Poetry in Motion, on 16mm film.
In Progress	Erzulie's Gift	Director	Experimental Film. Poetry in Motion, on 16mm film.
2007	Thelonious: Unknown Experiments in Flight Part 1	Director	Poetry in Motion, on 16mm film.[10]
2006	Satchmo : The Arrival of Gabriel on a Wing and a Half-Note	Director, co-writer, actor, co-producer	Poetry in Motion, on 16mm film. 20Mins.[11][12]
2000	ZoNA	Director, co-writer, actor, co-producer, Editor, Sound design.	Narrative Feature, on 16mm film.[13]
1992	The Gods & The Thief	Writer, director, editor, cinematographer	Experimental/ Narrative, on 16mm film.[14]
1990	Work	Writer, director, cinematographer, editor.	Experimental, on 16mm film.
1988	Kakilambe	Director	A dance video of the Ballet Koumankale of Los Angeles.
1986-1987	Blockade Runners	Director, camera operator, editor.	A documentary about film production in Cuba, including interviews with Cuban film directors. Taped at the 7th Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Havana, Cuba, December 1985.
1985	Just a Job	Director, co-writer, editor.	A drama about the assassination of a union official by a "has been" secret agent.
1984	Edge	Cinematographer, editor.	An experimental film exploring the boundaries of light, shadow and film contrast.
1984	Impression of Cuba	Director, camera editor.	A documentary about the 14th Contingent of the Venceremos Brigade in Cuba.
In Progress	Detroit: UnRuined Voices	Cinematographer, camera operator, editor.	Documentary Video by Kathryne Lindberg and Todd L. Duncan.
In Progress	Bob Kaufman: When I Die, I Wont Stay Dead	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Documentary Video by Billy Woodberry
2005	The Brother	Cinematographer, camera-operator.	Narrative Feature, on Digital video by Eva Benedikt (San Antonio International film Festival 2006 (Audience Award, Best Feature); International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, 2006)
2005	Trumpetistically	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Documentary, on multiple formats (video, film, DVCam) by Clora Bryant. ( National Black Programming Consortium Project Grant, $60k, November 2002; "Sneak Preview", Prized Pieces Film Festival, 20th Anniversary celebration, National Black Programming Consortium, Schomburg Center, New York; Area Premiere, 13th Annual Pan African Film Festival, Magic Johnson Theaters, Los Angeles)[15]
In Progress	Planet Without a Visa: the Embattled Life of Leon Trotsky	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Documentary Feature Film by Lindy Laub[16]
1999	Compensation	Cinematographer, camera operator, storyboard artist, script consultant.	Narrative Feature by Zeinabu Davis (2002 Paul Robeson Prize, Best Film, Narrative Section; Newark Museum 28th Annual Black Film Festival; Gordon Parks Award, 1999 Independent Feature Market, NYC; “Outstanding Film” - Reel Black Award, Black Film & Video Network, Toronto; Independent Spirit Award Nomination, Best First Feature under $500k, IFP-West; Sundance Channel 2000-2003; BET Stars Network 2000-2003)[14][15]
1988	I Look Through a Window	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Documentary Feature Film by Stephen Edwards.
1988	Cycles	Cinematographer, Camera Operator, Script Consultant	Experimental Drama and Film Short by Zeinabu Davis. Many Awards.[14][15]
1987	Sweet Bird of Youth	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Film by Zeinabu Davis.
1986	Minstrels	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Documentary Film by Marie Kellier.
1986	Out of Arabie	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Narrative Film Short by Susan Evans.
1985	Throwing Strikes	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Narrative Film Short by Dino Castro.
1985	Audio Visual	Cinematographer, camera operator.	Narrative Film Short by David Strom.
1992	Golden Chickpeas	Production sound recordist.	Narrative Feature Film by Nigol Bezjian.
1988	No Not One	Production sound recordist.	Narrative Feature Film by George Gary.