I'm watching this film with my students next week, and I'm curious to know what anyone here has to say about it: have you seen it, was it comprehensive enough, what more would you have liked to see covered ... anything at all. I did a search of the website and didn't find any references to it, so I thought I'd post here.

Thanks!

It's a fantastic film, and zeroes in on the many ways in which US policy negatively impacts -- sometimes in unexpected ways -- on the economies of developing countries.
For example: By limiting imports of sugar from countries like Jamaica, the United States creates an artificial supply-and-demand situation that results in American consumers' paying at the supermarket nearly double the world price for sugar -- and thareby prop up the American sugar cane and sugar beet growers.
Another also highlighted in the film: The United States insisted, as the price of continuing US AID programs (like the one that built the very useful roads across the shoulder of Great Pedro and inland to Hounslow, both unmistakeably good projects) that Jamaica rescind import tariffs. The result: When an American agribusiness has a surplus, it can sell the extra to Jamaica, often at below cost, and so at prices less than the out-of-pocket costs of Jamaican farmers/poultry growers/etc. The film shows a scene at Lover's Leap where carrot farmers had nowhere to sell their crop because American-grown surplus carrots had flooded the Black River market at lower cost. That scene resonated with me; I was there at about the same time.
In short: Even when being generous, as with the USAID roads, some of the benefit is undone by policies designed to prop up American producers.
A few useful websites: http://www.lifeanddebt.org/
and (I think this is an online video of the whole film
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5277094596195828118

Hope your students enjoy it and learn from it!

You might want to check the "Internet Movie Database" to find some references and comments/discussions about this film. Just google "Life and Debt" and "IMDB" and you'll find a direct link to that film. Or go to their homepage at www.imdb.com

Life and Debt is a real eye opener. I had no idea of how the US had put a choke hold on Jamaica's economy.

Excellent film. Very eye-opening.

An excellent film. Yes it does show how the policies of a "First World Country" can affect our economy and our infrastructure. It also lends to teaching those that want to make the necessary sacrifices for our country to survive, how to not depend on IMF and foreign loans for our future, but to try to build on what we have as a nation and accomplish our goals locally. This is what is needed to build our country.

Here are other links on this site about it.
http://treasurebeach.net/cgi-bin/discus/show.pl?tpc=1584&post=18012#POST18012
http://treasurebeach.net/cgi-bin/discus/show.pl?tpc=1584&post=23088#POST23088
http://treasurebeach.net/cgi-bin/discus/show.pl?tpc=1584&post=23955#POST23955

My own thoughts when I watched it several years ago was that it does a good job of telling the director's side of the story but didn't bother to look at the other side. Kinda of like Michael Moore's films, which I really like.

I would implore anyone who sees it and has a genuine interest to research the issue further to get the other side's point of view. I don't know what that is (I have not taken my own advice!), but I do know "one scene doesn't tell the whole play".

It is a great film - with some wonderful footage from St Elizabeth. The film score is also excellent. The film basically shows how America has become the Walmart of the developing world.

I agree with Eric (above) that is does really only show one side of the issue. Obviously, there are two sides to any story.

Eric Wills

Mauhar, your use of the term'First World' is so apropos. This not only happens US juxtaposition Jamaica but throughout the developing world(I refuse to use the term Third World). The US maintains its standards of excess through these policies. Hence, First World domination. Much of the world's hunger is artifically imposed.

I've shown it in classes, and it's usually shocking and memorable for students who already think they know "the other side," with all due respect to the two Erics: that the World Bank is a force for good and poverty alleviation worldwide, and that the US is a benevolent aid giver.

I love the film, so my sense of its limits are more for another filmmaker to take up: more women's voices on development, some clarification on the multiple scenes of Rasta reasoning, and a closer look at the complexity of national politics in a global economy. OK, maybe two or three more films!

enjoy!

America is the greatest of opportunities and the worst of influences.

Hey, thanks for all the responses. And thanks, Eric, for the links to other conversations about the film. I'm not sure what to expect when I show this to my class. I teach 16-24yo HS drop-outs who want to take the HS equivalency exam, and I was pretty surprised when they said they wanted to see this. I had mentioned it as part of another discussion we were having, and they immediately asked me to bring it in. They surprise me regularly. If they don't burn the school down (their rage is sometimes more than a little awe-inspiring), I'll post their responses!

Thanks, again!

I have my students watch the film - it is very moving, and great preparation for touring or working in Jamaica.

Also try watching it with the director's commentary option turned on. She gives some insight into the role of Japan in Blue Mountain Coffee. That's another story that would be worthy of a documentary.

Antidote to the American Dream....





WAKE UP!

Well said Turey!