DEMOS

Using the example of Jamaica it tries to explain why many former European colonies have often remained poverty-ridden. According to 'Life and Death' the reason for the economic weakness of Jamaica and other third world countries is 'globalisation'. The vicious economic cycle created by short-term borrowing from the IMF and World Bank, failure to repay high-interest debts, exploitation by global companies and inability to build a decent infrastructure because of lack of funds, keeps countries like Jamaica in continuous poverty.

I did like the film. 'Life and Death' made several valid arguments and did explain to an extent why Jamaica, despite its amazing beauty and richness in natural resources, has remained as poor as it is.

However, I believe that two things were missing. First, I don't think that the current situation of many third world countries can simply be explained by blaming 'globalisation'. Jamaica, for instance, is renown for its government corruption, often violent political divisions and extremely high rates of gun violence. This is not mentioned in the movie and although there is a question of cause and effect I do think these factors do play a part in the current crisis that Jamaica finds itself in. Secondly, I would have liked the documentary to, if not offer a 'solution' to the problem, at least show the attempts that are made in Jamaica by Jamaicans to improve the current economic situation. In a way it was a quite hopeless movie. But judging by the number of Jamaicans that I know who have left their country because they don't see a way forward and have no hope this might be an appropriate depiction.

For more information see http://www.lifeanddebt.org/