Author and journalist Peter Bailey, a native of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, returns home following the 2017 devastation of two, back-to-back category 5 hurricanes (Irma and Maria) to meet with friends, family, and officials. He also leads the film’s camera into abandoned homes to reveal the incredible wreckage of personal possessions that once represented family histories and the joy of children who loved their toys.
Stopping by his own family compound with his brother, Bailey considers what it would take to rebuild. Driving through the streets, we get a pretty good idea of how apocalyptic the storm experiences were. Part of Paradise Discovered concerns islanders’ sense that they and their traumas were being ignored by the mainland U.S., particularly the government and media.
Bailey interviews the Virgin Islands’ governor, who says he largely succeeded in getting some federal aid, and who talks about his mandate to islanders just before the storms hit: forget your things, your houses. Save each other.
A lot of Islanders have thoughts to share about averting future problems following storms, including how to avoid corruption once assistance starts pouring in. Strongly recommended. Aud: E, I, J, H, C, P.