Flor de la Mar (2015)

• 82%
• 2015

On the isolated island of Cubagua, a rare Venezuelan culture of fifty-one fishermen is on the brink of extinction. They are the lonesome watchmen of the ruins of Nueva Cadiz, the first Spanish city of the Americas, built by a demand for pearls. Abandoned 500 years ago, this forgotten community was finally promised revitalization of their historic island in 2007. But the funds for the project mysteriously vanished, leaving the fishermen crystallized in their indigenous ways, without outside aid or hope for the future. They do not have fresh water. Garbage covers azure beaches and historical ruins. They have virtually no electricity, and are prohibited to repair or build homes without hard-to-obtain government approval. Officials refuse to divulge how the revitalization money was spent, playing into the cycle of exploitation of Cubagua's natives. Like when the Spanish enslaved them 500 years ago, these marginalized fishermen have, again, been left to crumble like the historical city ...