University students and faculty gathered Wednesday night in McKenzie Hall to view the documentary film “Life and Debt.”
“Life and Debt,” directed by Stephanie Black, is the second in the ethnic studies film series that explores the concept of globalization. Visiting instructor Irmary Reyes-Santos, who has been organizing the series, said it aims to “get people speaking about globalization outside of the classroom and get them questioning how globalization affects everyday life.”
The film focused on the relationship between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Jamaica. Made in classic documentary style with a narrative framework, it specifically explored how this association affects Jamaican farmers and factory workers.
“Life and Debt” asserts that while the IMF told Jamaica it would locate and solve the underlying reasons for their economic crisis, it actually imposed restrictions that made development impossible because Jamaica was constantly paying back the IMF.
Through interviews with farmers, “Life and Debt” stated that as a result of the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar and agricultural taxes imposed by the IMF, importing goods from America, such as potatoes and milk powder, caused local farmers to lose their livelihood.
This film also discussed the role of free zones in Jamaica and other third world countries. Free Zones, areas that are not technically considered a part of the country, are used by large, usually U.S.-based companies for cheap labor. The film implied that this practice is unjust because the companies use Jamaican labor, don’t pay taxes to Jamaica and claim their products are made in the U.S. The film also claimed there were major injustices in payment and healthy working conditions.
After the film, associate professor Michael Hames-García led audience members in a discussion about the film and its implications. Most said that they were impressed by the Jamaican people’s awareness and knowledge of the various issues that affect them.
Despite illuminating Jamaica’s often unnoticed plight in a way that assistant professor of Spanish Tania Triana said “makes complicated processes clear to pretty much any viewer,” this film has been met with much criticism. The most common critique, Hames-García said, is that it inaccurately portrays the relationship between former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and the Jamaican people. “Life and Debt” gives the impression of a united Jamaican front when in actuality there was a great deal of social unrest about Manley’s policies.
The group discussed at length the U.S. and Europe’s implication in Jamaica’s crisis. Some viewed it as a primarily internal problem while others felt that because of the U.S.’ prosperity, it is innately linked to problems with developing nations.
The group also discussed ways in which Jamaica and countries like it could overcome the economic obstacles they faced.
Most agreed with graduate student Hannah Holleman when she said that “people have to organize” outside of already established bodies that were “inherently undemocratic.”