We’ve followed the devastation and rebuilding in the British Virgin Islands which endured the worst of Hurricane Irma, seeing sustained 185 mile-per-hour winds as the eye passed directly over the region. And while a lot of the country was quick to recover in terms of infrastructure, allowing for a quick return of life sustaining tourism, the storm did more than destroy infrastructure, it destroyed lives and left trauma in its wake.
A new documentary from London’s Next Door Films touches on Irma’s traumatic after effects. Below the surface of beach bars, charters, and trop-rock, there are lives and stories that were as damaged as the buildings, boats, and bays. As the filmmakers explained to Nowness.com editor Michael Lewin, “Irma decimated houses, boats, and nature. After it had passed, Tortola’s population had to continue living, trying to get back to normality, even amongst the rubble. People are left to rebuild both physically and mentally. When a storm of this magnitude hits, it reminds us of the fragility of society, putting everything into perspective and making people reevaluate their lives.”
Some things heal faster than others: It was only a month before the greenery began to return to the lush tropical isle landscape. But despite the resilience of the people of the BVI, other scars are taking longer to heal.
