jamaica is a hot vacation spot .
the exchange rate encourages delusions of wealth ( approximately 30 jamaican dollars to one american ) , the sea is a brilliant blue , the air is warm but lacks humidity .
and as tourism is unfortunately jamaica 's biggest trade , foreigners enter and leave with a sense of relaxation .
life and debt takes a brassy look at life inside this impoverished country .
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 .
the voiceover is written by acclaimed author jamaica kincaid .
it guides the audience along a tourist 's journey and the story of the native inhabitants .
instead of telling you what you are already seeing on screen , it quips , " you do n't see what happens after you flush the toilet .
" this engages a viewer to see and think about devastation instead of merely being told it is there .
this strong , sparse storytelling approach runs throughout the film .
stephanie black is also intelligent in how she chooses to disclose the problems faced by the locals .
this is n't just another talking head show of people moaning about their horrible lot in life .
people are interviewed from all sectors of occupation , from field to factory , as well as social theorists and the banking organizations that continue to invest in the country .
the variety of discussion perpetuates a compelling internal dialogue with any viewer , whether they are seeing jamaica for the first time or not .
of course , as can be expected , the united states is slammed , owing to its involvement with the international monetary fund and the world bank .
officials look moronic as they explain why their plans for jamaica 's economy will help the country back on its feet , but only if they are willing to follow the advice word for word .
the next moment we see why and how each of these initiatives has failed , usually due to imports being cheaper than local labor or whether or not the soil is appropriate for the next agricultural trend the u . s . is forcing on the citizens .
admittedly , some of the back and forth between the business - minded organizations and the failures they produce gets repetitive , but it also drives home the impact ignorance can have on both sides of an international argument .
but jamaica is n't against the united states , and this documentary does not accuse the u . s .
of being the sole perpetrator of its grief .
if anything , it begs for a better understanding of the nature of jamaican society before stepping in to change it based on foreign regulations .
written by acclaimed author engages a viewer this strong , sparse storytelling approach intelligent in how she chooses to disclose the problems faced by the locals