Wilna Julmiste
Wilna Julmiste is a Haitian born actor and writer. She is an alumna of the Negro Ensemble Company (NY). She also studied acting at Rutgers University (NJ), The Wilma Theater and Walnut Street Theater (PA). Ms. Julmiste began her writing career as a contributing writer, actor and co-producer for the play Black to My Roots, which won a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh, Festival Fringe, in Scotland and ran at New York International Fringe Festival. Her play, Behind Mountain are Mountains, a Haitian Proverb was produced at Manhattan Repertory Theater Summer Festival (NY). Her poetry collection Na In Three colors Blue/Grey/Red was been published in the 25th anniversary volume of The Caribbean Writer.
Awarded Grants
2013
Art and Change Grant (ACG)
Related grantees
Overview
Wilna will complete a short film titled Lugawu. A ‘lugawu’ is a mystical creature in Haitian folklore that can shape shift and enchant. The Haitian characters in this film grapple with this folklore and the idea of beauty through a modern day situation. As they move through in their story Japanese and Italian characters will deal with issues in their lives in similar ways but receiving different reactions. The goal of this film is to touch on how beauty is perceived and how similar ritualistic practices in various cultures are received differently due to misconceptions and assumptions about the cultures and their people.
