By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.8 cats
Director: Stephanie Black
Country: united_states
Year: 2002
Running time: 80
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0284262
Laura says: “LIFE & DEBT is a particularly powerful film in today’s climate, when Americans are more open to questioning why their country isn’t necessarily loved as much as they believe it should be. The biggest irony of Black’s film is that it could have an unintended backlash, negatively impacting Jamaica’s last flourishing industry – tourism.” 4 cats
For Laura’scomplete review: “http://www.reelingreviews.com/lifeanddebt.htm”
Michael says: “Documentarian Stephanie Black has a message, and it comes through loud and clear in her film, LIFE AND DEBT. The difficulties the country of Jamaica is having becoming a self-sufficient nature, largely due to the practices of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are strongly outlined and thoroughly explained, if a little bit one-sided. While certainly angered by many of the things shown in this film, I was also curious about the things that were left unsaid.
“Black structures her film quite inventively. The viewer begins the film as if he/she was a tourist, arriving at the resorts and witnessing the beauty of Jamaica. Passages written by Jamaica Kincaid are recited espousing the joys of being a tourist, while remarking on the way of life behind the glitz and vacation that most people never see, much less think about. Interspersed with these scenes are traditional documentary-style interviews with a former Prime Minister, as well as farmers and other laborers whose livelihoods are being stifled through international trade. Certain scenes, particularly at a dairy farm, and another with banana harvesters, are powerfully effective.
“International economics is a tough concept to grasp, at least for me, and I always feel I don’t know the whole story. Still Black’s look at Jamaica is fairly convincing… I just wish it had been just a tad less angry and showed one or two of the things that might be working for Jamaica (there are vague references to coffee and tourism, but nothing about those industries as well.” 3 1/2 cats
Robin says: “Black dissects other aspects of the decaying Jamaican economy that has become a dumping ground for cheap goods. Even the chicken industry is not exempt from the intrusion from big business as shiploads of American-rejected dark meat parts are offered to the islanders at a fraction of the cost of local grown, high quality hens. But cheap has its own price when a shipment, estimated to have been frozen for 28 years (yes, that’s years),
arrives. When the deception is uncovered, the shipper declared that it was all a mistake, that the load was actually destined for Haiti. The Jamaicans did not release the ancient fowl to its dishonest owners to dupe yet another struggling country.” 4 cats
For Robin’s complete review: “http://www.reelingreviews.com/lifeanddebt.htm”