The Land of Eb

This skillful, touching film stars Jonithen Jackson as Jacob, a middle-aged laborer in one of the more remote communities on a Hawaiian island. Hailing from the Marshall Islands, Jacob and his family were displaced from their original home by the U.S. government for nuclear test purposes. Jacob carries his sense of loss and dislocation with the same silent dignity he uses to keep his stomach cancer a secret from his beloved family. Juggling many balls at once, Jacob is the primary provider for his children and grandchildren, always hustling to find a coffee farm to harvest or junk that he can salvage to sell at a flea market. Co-written and directed by Andrew Williamson, The Land of Eb is largely an observational character study of a man going through his daily routines and ordinary adventures, from washing himself to picking coffee beans to sitting through his grandkids' music lessons. Jackson brings an admirable nobility to his performance as Jacob, who maintains control despite his hardscrabble existence and the ease with which temporary employers can (and will) cheat him of earnings. A powerful story told quietly and with compassion, this engrossing film is recommended. (T. Keogh)