"A Place in the Sun" Documentary Exposes Dark Side of Canary Islands Tourism

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Documentary intersperses pastel scenes of spotless tourist resorts with candid interviews with the asylum seekers who labour to keep them pristine

Every year, millions of tourists flock to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean where the sun always shines. Through static shots resembling picture postcards, Mette Carla Albrechtsen’s pastel-hued documentary captures the leisure activities on offer: cerulean rooftop pools, pristine sandy beaches and raves that stretch into dawn. But as the resort asks its visitors to put their minds on hold, the film casts a critical gaze on the human labour that powers this luxury paradise. Interspersed with restful scenes of relaxation are candid interviews with on-site workers, whose stories reveal the trials and tribunals behind the glossy travel brochures.

Some simply come to the Canary Islands looking for an escape from routine. One long-time Danish resident laments the gloomy weather of his home country, but he finds it difficult to develop lasting relationships in the archipelago, a transitional space where few of his migrant friends set permanent roots. Others flee from more desperate circumstances – economic hardship and war. In one staggering juxtaposition, the film cuts from a popular nightclub to a sombre dock where social workers tend to a group of migrants rescued from dangerous sea journeys. Promised a safe passage to Spain by their traffickers, tens of thousands of asylum seekers are now left in a stateless limbo, all while contributing their labour to the various luxury resorts.

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