Ghosts of Cite Soleil

They call them "ghosts," as that's almost surely what they'll soon become. In the ghettos of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, few gang members survive the downward-spiraling, survival-of-the-vicious violence nurtured by generations of political instability. Asgar Leth's nearly inconceivable documentary — Variety critic Todd McCarthy found it amazing that the director survived the filming — follows two gang leaders, 2pac and Billy, brothers by blood but rivals on the street and for the affections of the same French woman. These gunslingers smoke weed and cruise the streets as violence threatens to erupt at any time and from any direction, and they become etched in our memories, the most vivid, tragic characters you'll see on screen this year. Thanks to its on-the-streets immediacy, explosive colors and brutal honesty (2pac talks by phone about his plans to become a rapper with Haitian legend Wyclef Jean), there is nothing in the nonfiction canon to compare to Ghosts. (JS)