France/USA/Haiti 100 mins
In January, 2010, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake which killed an estimated 220, 000 people. Many countries and organizations around the globe pledged money to rebuild the country. Fatal Assistance follows the way this has happened. Or not, as the case may be.
Haiti has a fraught history of colonisation, corruption and general dodgy behaviour. It was little wonder that many of the aid-givers did not trust the president or government to utilize the money given in the most appropriate manner. Instead, each chose to run their own programs, meaning that much of the money was either no used, or not to its greatest advantage. This is a terribly depressing film; to see bureaucracy at its best whilst people are living under plastic sheets. The people are not having their physical needs taken care of, much less their mental and emotional needs. So very, very sad.
Fatal Assistance screens at Greater Union on Saturday, July 27 at 1:30pm and ACMI on Friday, August 2 at 4pm. To book tickets, visit http://miff.com.au/
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