Niall ferguson takes us on a historical adventure through the. It examines the economic and social situation in jamaica, and specifically how the international monetary fund and the world banks structural adjustment policies have impacted the island. Blacks tactics are heavyhanded, but her ability to efficiently organize the complex material at hand and capture telling imagery makes life and debt an equally elegant and vitriolic diatribe. Life and debt 2001 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Set to a beguiling reggae beat, life and debt takes as its subject jamaicas economic decline in the 20th century. Jamaican dollar was devalued and 18 billion jamaican dollars were then needed to service the loan. This knowledge was based on class discussions and readings for my transnational feminisms course that im taking this semester. In 1992, as a result of structural adjustment policies mandated by the imf, the. Life and debt is an unapologetic look at the new world order, from the point of view of jamaican workers, farmers, government and policy officials who see the reality of globalization from the ground up. And a prime example of the impact economic globalization can have on a developing country. Most americans have been bewildered by the antiglobalization protesters at recent meetings of the international monetary fund and the world bank.
A collection of documentaries that explores the hidden side of human nature through the use of the science of economics. Life and debt, a documentary by stephanie black, with a commentary written by jamaica kincaid, looks at the effect of. An analysis of life and debt i had a general understanding of globalization before watching life and debt. Life and debt was awarded best documentary at the jamerican film festival. Life and debt excerpts from a documentary on the effects of globalization on the economy of jamaica. It may involve some spiritual or mystical connection between the two.
Social documentary on the effects of neo liberal economic policies imposed on jamaica by imf and world bank 1990. Set against a reggae soundtrack, it explores how international lending institutions. It takes an unapologetic look at the new world order from the point of view of jamaican workers, farmers and government officials. It starts with the essay a small place by jamaica kincaid. A film with so much to say necessarily risks either becoming boring or inaccessible, however life and debt suffers. In the 60s britain declared independence from jamaica.
All the secrets of the star wars galaxy revealed in aftermath. It is provocative and highly resonant, and informative without being dry or terminally academic. The movie life and debt is a documentary that is designed to show the different spectrum of classes in jamaica. All the secrets of the star wars galaxy revealed in. The film opens with the arrival of vacationers to the island utilizing ms. Life and debt is a featurelength documentary which addresses the impact of the international monetary fund, the world bank, the interamerican development bank and current globalization policies on a developing country such as jamaica. While normal documentaries take the sally struthers approach of underlying scenes of starving children with tearful music, this film guides the viewer with a sarcastic voiceover that brings the troubles home without begging tears to the surface. With a voiceover narration written by jamaica kincaid, adapted from her nonfiction book a small place, life and debt is an unapologetic look at the new world order from the point of view of. Rent life and debt 2001 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. While it relies heavily on the informed narration of jamaica kincaid. A life debt is a cultural phenomenon in which someone whose life is saved or spared by another becomes indebted or in some way connected to their savior.
Jamaica uncovered to thousands of tourists, it is the happy island of rum, reggae and sunshine. Life and debt is now being shown at the screening room in new york city. What could the protesters possibly be objecting to. Director stephanie black shows the different sides of jamaica in concerns to what tourists experiences and what the natives of the land endure. Utilizing excerpts from the awardwinning nonfiction text a small place by jamaica kincaid, life and debt is a woven tapestry of sequences all focusing on the stories of individual jamaicans whose strategies for survival and parameters of daytoday existence are determined by the u. And yet, as life and debt shows, it is part of an ongoing pattern. Life and debt 2001 stream and watch online moviefone. Brand new factory sealed new yorker film dvds for home video use only not for institutional or classroom use.
Life and debt, a documentary by stephanie black, with a commentary written by jamaica kincaid, looks at the effect of the international monetary fund on the economy of jamaica. It examines the economic and social situation in jamaica, and specifically how. Life and debt is a searing documentary from director stephanie black that examines the ways that policies of the international monetary fund i. It portrays the impact of the policies of the us government, the international monetary fund imf, the world bank wb, and the world trade organization wto on the agricultural economy of jamaica. Life and debt documentary by keith 3 years ago life and debt directed by stephanie black. From my analysis of the film life and debt and my readings, i have come to the opinion that economic globalization works in favor of powerful and wealthy countries while undermining the interests of poorer, less developed countries to cultivate their own economy and establish a substantial quality of life for their civilians.
Their globalization policies are in essence the new form of colonialism. Using conventional and nonconventional documentary techniques, this searing film dissects the mechanism of debt that is destroying local. Using jamaica as its focus, filmmaker stephanie black presents an indepth examination of the impact of the international monetary funds global economic policies on a developing nations economy. This 86 minute film released in 2001 looked at jamaicas economic decline following its. Life and debt is a featurelength documentary which addresses the impact of the international monetary fund, the world bank, the interamerican development bank, and current globalization policies on a developing country such as jamaica. The debt is a 2010 remake of the 2007 israeli thriller film hahov, directed by john madden from a screenplay by matthew vaughn, jane goldman and peter straughan. However, the natives are too poor to escape the island. By the time this sequence appears in the film, youve seen other. Jamaica is the island where antiguans suffer and want to escape. Tell the children the truth documentary full length subtitled duration. However i feel some of you have been patiently waiting for over 4 years.
This wont be an official release, and the film will still have plenty of errors and mistakes. The story has reverberations in the plight of other third. Photo gallery on the international antiglobalization movement. This powerful film is the first to put a human face on what is known popularly as globalization. Life and debt is an unapologetic look at the new world order, from the point of view of jamaican workers, farmers, government and policy officials who see the reality of globalization from. Documentary look at the effects of globalization on jamaican industry and agriculture.
An unapologetic look at the new world order from the point of view of jamaican workers, farmers, and. The critics jury was comprised of jami bernard from the new york daily news, emanuel levy of screen intl. This 86 minute film released in 2001 looked at jamaicas economic decline following its independence from britain. Most americans have been bewildered by the antiglobalization protesters at recent meetings of the international monetary fund and the world. In the unlikely event that it appears on public television in the usa, where leftwing documentaries are rapidly becoming a thing of the past, it should be viewed by activists and academics determined to fight global capitalism. They didnt really know how to run their economy without britain, so they had. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. This film demonstrates that free market capitalism on a global scale does not necessarily mean fair trade. Stephanie blacks poignant 2001 masterpiece, life and debt, was shown on october 2 nd, 2009, as part of the international health film series at boston university school of public health. How does the imf mission statement relate to what you saw in the film. Arguably the most rigorous dissection of postcolonial economic policy ever committed to film, life and debt is a penetrating critique of what.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. What is the purpose of imf loans to developing nations. Life and debt investigates international monetary fund levers in agonizing detail. Life debt is full of interludes on planets that dont seem to be connected to the.
Using conventional and unconventional documentary techniques, this searing film dissects the mechanism of debt that is destroying. The result, she argues, has been the destruction of jamaican industry and agriculture, the end of jamaica as a selfsufficient economic entity, and its conversion into a market for north american goods and a source of underpaid labor. Terms in this set 14 describe the pretenses under which jamaica had to borrow its loan from the imf. The voiceover narration is adapted from jamaica kincaids 1987 nonfiction book a small place which dissects life on antigua. As a documentary life and debt has many merits one of the most apparent and significant of which is the highly imaginative and effective way that it draws a complex concept into the form of an 80 minute film. Using jamaica as its focus this awardwinning documentary examines the impact of the international monetary funds global economic policies on a developing nations economy. A life debt sometimes involves servitude, possibly until the indebted can return the favor. But a new film reveals how rich countries and the imf keep the caribbean poor. The movie showed how difficult was for the jamaican government to make any better deal, then the hypocrisy of the imf official, who every time was speaking on. Life and debt takes a brassy look at life inside this impoverished country.
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