“For those of us whose memory of Hurricane Maria boils down to footage of President Donald Trump scornfully tossing out paper towels to a crowd at a disaster relief center, Cecilia Aldarondo’s documentary Landfall offers up a welcome flipside…a comprehensive study of Puerto Rico’s troubled state, allowing the sights, sounds and especially the people to speak for themselves.” – Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter.
New York, N.Y. – November 3, 2020 – POV today announced the acquisition of the U.S. broadcast rights for “Landfall,” directed by Cecilia Aldarondo, will air as part of the series’ 34th season, which kicks off on PBS in June 2021. Following its world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, “Landfall” won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Florida Film Festival, and will be streaming at DOC NYC from November 11 – 19, 2020.
Taking a holistic look at Post-María Puerto Rico, “Landfall” adopts an interconnected episodic structure focusing on the unique stories of farmers, fishermen, educators, real estate agents, and newcomers alike, everyone eager to rebuild. Naturalistic and personal, the film combines intimate scenes of everyday life in Puerto Rico with informal, conversational interviews with subjects.
As the island grapples with a devastated infrastructure and multi-billion dollar debt, outside investors descend-not to bail out communities, but to cash in. The next generation of Puerto Ricans find themselves at an inflection point between the dream of a socialist utopia and the reality of recolonization. The new Puerto Rico poses a question of global urgency: when the world falls apart, what does a just recovery look like?
Filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo said, “‘Landfall’ is a cautionary tale about unjust recovery, and what happens when powerful interests try to privatize public services in the wake of disaster. Now that we’re all facing the biggest disaster of our lifetimes, we need public media like POV to champion the visionary, ethical, and independent media we need for a healthy society. I can’t think of a better home for my film.”
Chris White, executive producer of POV said, “Cecilia’s masterpiece is both a sharp condemnation of the continued colonial exploitation of Puerto Rico and a warm embrace of the land and her people. Rendered with a singular vision and deep affection, you’ll be swept into solidarity with these native Puerto Ricans who resist and rebuild.”
The “Landfall” deal was negotiated by Justine Nagan and Chris White on behalf of POV, and Ines Hoffman Kanna on behalf of “Landfall.” The film is a co-production of Blackscrackle Films, LLC, ITVS, and American Documentary | POV, in association with Field of Vision, and Latino Public Broadcasting, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
