This well-made documentary remains fairly neutral on its subject, while allowing denizens of Arlit, Niger to tell their own stories. A post-boomtown in a uranium-rich region, the film shows how places change over time, and the human toll involved in these changes. While capturing the beauty of desert isolation and the resigned discomfort of continual ennui, the consequences of exploitation and colonialism are also vividly illuminated. There are amazing, subtle moments captured in this documentary, and the tone never becomes preachy or overly emotional. It's a fascinating study in economics, legal and illegal immigration, and sociology. The horror of desperation, of fatal illness, of disillusionment, juxtaposes with the compelling loveliness of decay, post-apocalypse, survival, and a compassionate sense of humanity despite the rise and fall of this "second Paris." Arlit, 2nd Paris feels at times like a transmission from some burnt-out future, a report sent back from a scrap heap desert planet. The sad thing is that it's probably only one of a disturbing many places that have experienced the boom-bust cycle.
Review of Arlit: The Second Paris
