8 April 3-9, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | Culture | Night+Day | News | Letters | coNteNts | MON 4/7 ▼ CORAL GABLES A COLD ONE Raise a glass this National Beer Day at Copper 29, where beer lovers can enjoy half-off on all beers as well as an exclusive Stella Artois chalice engraving experience. The first 50 guests get a free Stella Artois beer. If you’re more into cocktails, visit during happy hour — from 5 to 8 p.m. — for half-off premium drinks, wine, and other beverages. 5 p.m. Monday, at Copper 29, 206 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables; 786-830-9640; copper29bar.com. Admission is free. SOPHIA MEDINA ▼ MIRAMAR B THERE Just Odd: The Just B World Tour brings the high- energy K-pop group to cities across North America, with a stop in Miramar Monday night. Known for its electrifying performances and powerhouse vocals, the six-member group will also perform in other major cities, including Toronto, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. This concert is a must-see for any K-pop enthusiast. 7 p.m. at Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Pl., Miramar; 954- 602-4500; miramarculturalcenter.org. Tickets cost $49 via etix.com. ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN TUE 4/8 ▼ SUNRISE PAWS UP The Florida Panthers face off against the To- ronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night, and it’s go- ing to be an exciting game. Coming off their Stanley Cup win last year, the Panthers have continued to build on that momentum with solid all-around performances. With both teams bringing their A-game, it’s set to be a fast-paced, action-packed matchup. 7 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Pkwy., Sun- rise; 954-835-7000; amerantbankarena.com. Tickets cost $63 to $375 via seatgeek.com. ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN WED 4/9 ▼ DOWNTOWN MIAMI A LOVELY NIGHT The songs of the 2016 Academy Award-win- ning film La La Land will come to life at La La Land in Concert. Fans of the movie can watch it like they never have before, as an orchestra and jazz band play the soundtrack live while the film plays on screen. Starring Ryan Gos- ling and Emma Stone, fans can rewatch the captivating love story of a pianist and aspir- ing actor falling in love while pursuing their career aspirations. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the Knight Concert Hall, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 786-468-2000. Tickets cost $35 to $170 via arshtcenter.org. SOPHIA MEDINA [email protected] A Tabloid Tragedy A new film tells the human story behind the “Miami Zombie.” BY CAROLINA DEL BUSTO F ilmmaker and Miami native Edson Jean spent a great deal of time sitting on the coffee tables outside Imperial Moto Café and inside the Oolite Arts satellite offices next door while working on the script for his second feature film, Know Me. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles earlier this year, and it’s set to debut in Miami on Mon- day, April 7, during the Miami Film Festival. The writer/director/actor premiered his debut fea- ture, Ludi, at MFF in 2021. Know Me centers on a story plucked straight from the headlines. In 2012, Haitian-American Rudy Eugene attacked a man on the MacArthur Causeway, biting his face, and was later fatally shot by police. Early media reports led to wide speculation that Eugene was high on bath salts. He was dubbed the “Miami Zombie” in news coverage worldwide. A toxicology report later revealed Eugene only had traces of cannabis in his system. Jean’s film unpacks the story from the per- spective of Eugene’s family, whose names he changes in the movie out of respect. “To be able to show the film locally, where it was filmed, and engage in a new dialogue around what is a story about the spreading of misinfor- mation and mental health is exciting,” says Jean ahead of his MFF screening. “I also love that we’ll be at the Little Haiti Cultural Center because we’re closer to the community and get to really echo this message about mental health aware- ness in our communities to our community.” While the story is known to many, it is deeply personal for Jean, who is close friends with Eu- gene’s real-life brother, Marckenson Charles. The two met while studying acting in college. They instantly formed a bond as they were both the only two Haitian Americans in their year. The idea for Know Me came to Jean after read- ing his friend’s one-man show about the incident. “Our version of therapy is journaling and processing your ideas through paper and pen,” he says. While living in New York, Charles began to process what had happened to him and his fam- ily in precisely that way. He drafted the one-man show that would later become Jean’s full-length feature. The pair worked together to develop the sto- ryline and ensure they told Eugene and Charles’ stories truthfully, respectfully, and authentically. Jean pulls triple duty in the film. He wrote the script, directed the film, and plays Charles’ char- acter, the film’s protagonist, renamed Kenson Joseph for the screen. “The screenwriting process itself was really therapeutic,” says Jean. “We knew we wanted to take a really intimate approach to a widely rec- ognized story. I think the tendency, at first, was to have a larger scope and think about the na- tional effects of the story, but as we were devel- oping the script, we started to discover more.” Throughout months of writing, the duo un- covered many unknown aspects of the family’s history. The pair interviewed family members and jumped headfirst into mental health research. “The film also unpacks something that the general population really doesn’t know about — how the Christian Haitian community here really kind of left the family on their own,” says Jean. “It unpacks that journey of trying to vindicate the name of a family member, [while] at the same time not having all the pieces and not hav- ing all the answers.” Once Eugene’s body was released to his family, they had a difficult time securing a proper burial for their son and brother. This is a key driver in the film, as Jean’s character strug- gles to understand why his community has turned its back on his family and why people paint his brother as a monster. While his character is based on his close friend, Jean takes artistic liberties in the role. But he remains true to the man he knows. “He was super supportive throughout the whole thing,” says Jean of Charles. Another actor was initially contracted for the role but had to pull out due to last-minute scheduling conflicts. Jean and Charles toyed with the idea of Charles playing himself, but that felt too close to home. So, instead, as someone who knew the material deeply and is a trained actor, Jean embraced the new challenge. Jean tilts his head back and lets out a chuckle disguised as a sigh. “I won’t do that again,” he says. Smiling and giving it another thought, he adds, “I mean, who knows.” Know Me. 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, 212 NE 59th Ter. Tick- ets cost $15.50 via miamifilmfestival.com. [email protected] ▼ Culture Writer/director Edson Jean plays Rudy Eugene’s brother. Bantufy Films photo A Tabloid Tragedy A new film tells the human story behind the “Miami Zombie.” BY CAROLINA DEL BUSTO F ilmmaker and Miami native Edson Jean spent a great deal of time sitting on the coffee tables outside Imperial Moto Café and inside the Oolite Arts satellite offices next door while working on the script for his second feature film, Know Me. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles earlier this year, and it’s set to debut in Miami on Mon- day, April 7, during the Miami Film Festival. The writer/director/actor premiered his debut fea- ture, Ludi, at MFF in 2021. Know Me centers on a story plucked straight from the headlines. In 2012, Haitian-American Rudy Eugene attacked a man on the MacArthur Causeway, biting his face, and was later fatally shot by police. Early media reports led to wide speculation that Eugene was high on bath salts. He was dubbed the “Miami Zombie” in news coverage worldwide. A toxicology report later revealed Eugene only had traces of cannabis in his system. Jean’s film unpacks the story from the per- spective of Eugene’s family, whose names he changes in the movie out of respect. “To be able to show the film locally, where it was filmed, and engage in a new dialogue around what is a story about the spreading of misinfor- mation and mental health is exciting,” says Jean ahead of his MFF screening. “I also love that we’ll be at the Little Haiti Cultural Center because we’re closer to the community and get to really echo this message about mental health aware- ness in our communities to our community.” While the story is known to many, it is deeply personal for Jean, who is close friends with Eu- gene’s real-life brother, Marckenson Charles. The two met while studying acting in college. They instantly formed a bond as they were both the only two Haitian Americans in their year. The idea for Know Me came to Jean after read- ing his friend’s one-man show about the incident. “Our version of therapy is journaling and processing your ideas through paper and pen,” he says. While living in New York, Charles began to process what had happened to him and his fam- ily in precisely that way. He drafted the one-man show that would later become Jean’s full-length feature. The pair worked together to develop the sto- ryline and ensure they told Eugene and Charles’ stories truthfully, respectfully, and authentically. Jean pulls triple duty in the film. He wrote the script, directed the film, and plays Charles’ char- acter, the film’s protagonist, renamed Kenson Joseph for the screen. “The screenwriting process itself was really therapeutic,” says Jean. “We knew we wanted to take a really intimate approach to a widely rec- ognized story. I think the tendency, at first, was to have a larger scope and think about the na- tional effects of the story, but as we were devel- oping the script, we started to discover more.” Throughout months of writing, the duo un- covered many unknown aspects of the family’s history. The pair interviewed family members and jumped headfirst into mental health research. “The film also unpacks something that the general population really doesn’t know about — how the Christian Haitian community here really kind of left the family on their own,” says Jean. “It unpacks that journey of trying to vindicate the name of a family member, [while] at the same time not having all the pieces and not hav- ing all the answers.” Once Eugene’s body was released to his family, they had a difficult time securing a proper burial for their son and brother. This is a key driver in the film, as Jean’s character strug- gles to understand why his community has turned its back on his family and why people paint his brother as a monster. While his character is based on his close friend, Jean takes artistic liberties in the role. But he remains true to the man he knows. “He was super supportive throughout the whole thing,” says Jean of Charles. Another actor was initially contracted for the role but had to pull out due to last-minute scheduling conflicts. Jean and Charles toyed with the idea of Charles playing himself, but that felt too close to home. So, instead, as someone who knew the material deeply and is a trained actor, Jean embraced the new challenge. Jean tilts his head back and lets out a chuckle disguised as a sigh. “I won’t do that again,” he says. Smiling and giving it another thought, he adds, “I mean, who knows.” Know Me. 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, 212 NE 59th Ter. Tick- ets cost $15.50 via miamifilmfestival.com. [email protected] ▼ Culture Writer/director Edson Jean plays Rudy Eugene’s brother. Bantufy Films photo
