Who Killed the President of Haiti? Jimmy Jean-Louis Leads a Chilling Political Drama

BFW Staff
Jun 18
3 min read

By Black Film Wire Staff | June 2025

BTS Who Killed the President of Haiti Movie starring Jimmy Jean-Louis (as President Jovenel moïse)

In what may be one of the most gripping political films of 2025, July 7: Who Killed the President of Haiti has officially hit select AMC theatres across the United States, starring Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis in a searing, timely portrayal based on the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse.

Directed by Robenson Lauvince and receiving a near-perfect 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film reopens a wound that remains fresh for the Haitian diaspora and global onlookers alike. Its haunting realism and high-stakes storytelling not only revisit the tragic night of July 7, 2021, but interrogate the systems of power, foreign interference, and betrayal that allowed such a brazen attack to unfold.

A President Assassinated, a Nation Shattered

The assassination of President Moïse shocked the world. It also exposed decades of unresolved trauma and complex geopolitics in the first free Black republic. In the words of actor Jimmy Jean-Louis: “This was not just about one man. This was about what Haiti represents."

The film dives into the chaos and confusion of the days following the murder, retracing investigative failures, international silence, and internal political sabotage. Jean-Louis delivers a standout performance that moves between sorrow, rage, and determination—a reflection of a nation tired of being misunderstood.

What Makes This Film So Urgent

It goes beyond a whodunnit. July 7 is a cinematic indictment of colonial debt (Haiti still owes a $175 billion loan enforced by France, with U.S. involvement), systemic erasure, and the cost of being the world’s first Black republic. The story travels across Port-au-Prince to international corridors of power, pulling no punches.

As of June 11, 2025, Haiti has no sitting president. Instead, the nation is run by a nine-member Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), marking a pivotal, uncertain time in its governance. July 7 doesn’t just revisit history—it collides with the present.

Screen, Who Killed the President of Haiti Movie starring Jimmy Jean-Louis.

Global Interest, Diaspora Impact

The film opened in AMC theatres in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Atlanta, and Florida, where Haitian-American communities have responded with sold-out screenings and standing ovations. There's talk of extending the film's reach to Africa through partnerships with Nile Distribution and FilmOne, marking a cross-continental awakening.

Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré even referenced the issue in a public statement earlier this month, calling it “a necessary reminder of what happens when African and Caribbean sovereignty is trampled."

The Roots of Revolution

The film goes deeper into Haiti's revolutionary legacy—linking historical figures like Jean-Jacques Dessalines to places like Louisiana and Chicago, tracing the diaspora's DNA. With sweeping cinematography and investigative detail, it dares to ask: if this could happen to Haiti, who’s next?

Final Word

July 7: Who Killed the President of Haiti is not just a film—it's a wake-up call. Timely, bold, and painfully honest, it forces viewers to reckon with the cost of freedom and the true meaning of Black sovereignty.

Streaming may follow, but right now this is a must-see on the big screen.