Life and Debt directed by Stephanie Black, USA / 2001, 86 minutes

in italiano Since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, Jamaica's autonomy has brought continual economic struggle. Stephanie Black compares the vibrant tourist image of Jamaica with the bleak realities of its domestic economy. Interviews with local merchants are interspersed with extended appearances by former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley, Jamaica's first elected leader, and Stanley Fischer, Deputy Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Manley and Fischer address the series of loan guarantees which aimed to rescue the country's failing economy, and their impact on Jamaican business. Stephanie Black's filmography includes the award-winning feature-length documentary 'H-2 Worker' (Best Documentary and Best Cinematography at 1990 Sundance Film Festival) and - as Researcher and 2nd Unite Director - 'Incident at Oglala', an award-winning feature-length documentary on Leonard Peltier and the activities of the F.B.I. on the Pine Ridge Reservation during the 1970's. After producing and directing live-action documentary for children (Children's Television Workshop and Sesame Street), in 1999, she directed and produced a documentary on the "Making of Chant Down Babylon", a Bob Marley tribute album featuring Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, among others. Life and Debt