Nov 21

Nov 21 DOC NYC film review: 'Landfall'

The revelatory documentary 'Landfall' (screening at DOC NYC 2020) finds Puerto Rico reeling from the aftermath of a devastating hurricane - but reveals crushing economic debt started a crisis that a natural disaster exacerbated.

In short: Glimpses of everyday life in in Puerto Rico - a nation that was $72 million in debt to the United States before Hurricane María hit the island.

'Landfall' takes a slice-of-life approach to let Puerto Ricans tell their post-hurricane story - what the storm took from them, and describe their struggles to survive when society has almost completely collapsed. In its quieter moments, 'Landfall' simply lets the camera pan across buildings and homes in devastation. No words or narration is needed to impress the seriousness of the situation, or why this fuels a political unrest that simmers in the background of this documentary.

The ongoing plight of Puerto Rico is far from front-page news in the United States. The island received some attention after Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, but that coverage receded just as the storm itself dissipated. This lack of coverage gives the false sense that Puerto Rico has simply picked itself back up after the storm or that the storm was problem Puerto Ricans had to overcome. 'Landfall' dispels the notion that Maria was the only disaster to hit the island - Maria was simply the easier to comprehend than the crippling economic debt that preceded Maria and has stalled the recovery.

The people of Puerto Rico frankly discuss the dire situation their nation faces - but there's a quiet resolve in their voices. Some of the interviewees voice desperation years after Maria dissipated, instilling a sense that the island is still in survival mode, with recovery still off in the distance. But the overall tenor of the film never gives way to outright hopelessness - there's a tone of plain-spoken resilience.

While 'Landfall' paints a robust picture of the country post-Maria, the overall film lacks a clear direction. Although a very specific event closes out the documentary, the film doesn't make indicate that this event is where the film is headed, other than tipping the hand that political unrest is building. Leading to the conclusion, 'Landfall' is a tapestry of experiences and frustrations felt across the island, but all of it lacks clear connective tissue to pull everything together, and slam home its point.

Final verdict: 'Landfall' is an eye-opening documentary that reveals a nation that was troubling long before the hurricane and has a long way to go before anything approximating normalcy returns to the island country.