Synopsis
We dream of going to the beach; Nelson dreams of escaping it. We want to go on vacation; Nelson wants only to work. While we sleep, he is awake. By day, he walks among us. Yet, Nelson goes unnoticed…
A word from Tënk
Playeros: Beach Workers, Alexandre Beaumont-Vachon’s début work, saw great success at the 24th edition of the Festival REGARD, where it took first place in the 100% Regions competition, which brings together the best Quebec short films created outside of Montréal. Beaumont-Vachon created this work as part of his studies in documentary filmmaking, and he certainly left his mark with this observational short.
A finely wrought work, Playeros depicts a two-track society in the Dominican Republic, where tourism and poverty endlessly circle one another. We take in the daily life of Nelson, a family man trying to get by working the beaches, a prime location for all the laziness and frivolity of well-off tourists. Beaumont-Vachon succeeds in capturing a very specific reality that is, unfortunately, one of many examples of globalization, capitalism and institutional racism. This documentary takes on a tinge of bitter universality without falling into misery porn, leaving us stunned with the soundness of its message.
Morgane Ferrero
Coordinator of programming for REGARD festival