About This Lesson

Mirroring the underside of a unique moment in history, LANDFALL Film asks us to remember the long-standing legacies of U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico. Through a series of intimate interviews and slow-moving, haunting shots that reveal major differences in everyday life, LANDFALL carefully calls into question the complexity of competing narratives regarding the recovery and future of post-disaster Puerto Rico. Directed by Cecilia Aldaronado, this film intentionally holds space for the people of Puerto Rico to uplift their community-led mutual aid efforts and amplify their voices and visions for self-determination and sovereignty.

Using the framework of disaster colonialism, this lesson will provide a historical context of LANDFALL film to allow students to critically examine the ongoing crises in Puerto Rico. It will offer an opportunity for students to consider the competing narratives of characters in the film, and how these personal narratives underlie and influence rebuilding policies and approaches to recovery. Students will also have an opportunity to reflect on their own knowledge and understanding of colonialism and coloniality, and how their own personal narratives may be informed by these concepts.