Assistance mortelle (2013)

Assistance mortelle: Directed by Raoul Peck. Haitian born filmmaker Raoul Peck takes us on a 2-year journey inside the challenging, contradictory and colossal rebuilding efforts in post-earthquake Haiti.

“This film offers a closeup of the so-far failed efforts to address the aftermath of the catastrophic Haitian earthquake, which destroyed the homes of 1.5 million, about 15% of the population. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA wide variety of people are interviewed, and the interviews are telling and touching. The photography is first-rate, revealing the beauty of the landscape and the horror both of the devastation and of the largely unsuccessful attempts so far to deal with housing, even after two years.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film offers a highly sympathetic view of the citizenry, who have suffered greatly but are getting impatient. The portrayal of the government is somewhat less sympathetic: glimpses at attempted leadership, but the basic message is that the government was overwhelmed both by the disaster and by an inability to coordinate, let alone dictate, the actions of an estimated 4,000 outside agencies providing assistance. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLeast sympathetic of all, in this treatment, are those 4,000 aid agencies, which–possibly out of ineptness or self-serving motives, or possibly to sidestep reputed Haitian corruption at all levels–did not trust the government to be a full-fledged partner in the reconstruction effort.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHowever much you may have seen and read about the Haitian disaster and relief and reconstruction efforts, this film will show you much more, if you can bear to watch such failure and suffering.”