A Miami filmmaker is highlighting flea market culture in his latest project. Nicanson Guerrier, 38, grew up in Little Haiti and his mother and brother worked at the Opa-Locka Hialeah flea market.
Guerrier spent his time playing with other kids, buying candy and helping his mother and brother at the market.
His film, a comedy called "The Flea," recently debuted at the American Black Film Festival. Guerrier said it was important for him to show the people who buy and sell at flea markets because he felt nobody was telling their story.
Guerrier said the markets are full of colorful characters and vendors who sell food from all over the Caribbean. And that's part of South Florida's culture.
"A lot of people in general in Miami grew up in a flea market so it’s something that touches home," he said. "I wanted to bring that full circle and to show people the culture of the flea market because the culture of the flea market represents the culture of your community."
Guerrier hopes to extend this project into a series around life in flea markets.
"There are people there that exist who are just entrepreneurs, who are just moms, dads, brothers and sisters and they don’t necessarily get a fair shake of things because people don’t see them," he said. "I see them, I understand them and I am them."
