Tödliche Hilfe

On January 12, 2010, a severe earthquake shook Haiti. 250,000 people lost their lives and more than a million were left homeless. The international community responded quickly. Humanitarian aid began to arrive immediately. Dozens of countries, numerous international organizations, and thousands of non-governmental organizations pledged aid and support for the reconstruction of the country. By March 2010, US$11 billion in aid payments had already been pledged at an international donor conference. The Haitians' hopes were high. The pledges of aid from around the world also raised expectations that Haiti would not only be rebuilt, but that the disaster would be used as an opportunity for a “reconstruction of Haiti” by improving the administration of the “weak state.” With an analytical eye and personal involvement, Peck succeeds in translating the complexity of disaster relief into images that are as haunting as they are unsparing. Interviews, on-site observations, and archival material are woven together into a critical chronicle that not only concerns Haiti but also highlights a fundamental problem with global aid structures. The film challenges its audience to reconsider the responsibility and consequences of humanitarian aid. FATAL ASSISTANCE premiered in 2013 at the Berlinale in the “Berlinale Special” series, where it received international attention and was recognized as an important contribution to political documentary film. The work thus positioned itself not only as a relentless analysis of reconstruction in Haiti, but also as an example of committed cinema that raises questions about global justice.