Haitian-American Sisters Will Debut MIWA Film + Music Experience

From November 6–8, Haitian-American sisters Lunise and Talie Cerin will premiere MIWA, an immersive film and music experience, as the first production in Journey Arts' new season.

Amid ongoing displacement and cultural disconnection, MIWA (Haitian Creole for “mirror”) offers reconnection through song, ritual, and story.

The powerful film and live performance traces the threads that connect Haitian women across geography and time. Filmmaker Lunise Cerin interweaves stories and visuals from Haiti and the U.S. into a five-part film collage, while singer/songwriter Talie Cerin mines Haitian folk, spirituals, and soul for a musical portrait of Haitian spirit.

MIWA audiences will move through an unfolding series of five small spaces – within The Icebox at Crane Arts, an artist studio and gallery building – crafted by artist/maker Nia Benjamin, that highlight Lunise's film, leading to a culminating performance by Talie on vocals and guitar, alongside a stellar ensemble.

“Wandering through a visual village of Lunise Cerin's filmed portraits of Haitian women, you'll be led towards a jewel-box performance space where you can bask in the sounds of Talie Cerin's chamber ensemble love letter to Haiti,” says Artistic Director Marla Burkholder, Journey Arts. “Find your reflection here, or embrace the glittering reflection of another's world.”

Journey Arts, an ambitious and intentionally nomadic Philadelphia performing arts presenter, has centered its 23rd season on reconnection amid ongoing displacement and cultural shifts. This season's performances will explore the enduring strength of identity, heritage, and community. Through stories, song, film, and shared experiences, the works illuminate the ways in which individuals and communities draw upon their histories to understand themselves and to forge new paths forward, fostering belonging across boundaries.

The season continues with TABLE SESSIONS in April 2026 and TO BE HERE on June 11, 12, and 13.

MIWA runs November 6, 7, and 8 at 7 p.m. at The Icebox at Crane Arts, 1400 N. American Street.

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