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Flower of the Sea (Flor de la Mar)

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    Flor de la Mar follows archaeologist Jorge Armand as he travels to Cubagua, a faraway Venezuelan island and home of the ruins of Nueva Cádiz, the first European city built in South America.

    In 1515, Nueva Cádiz was a slaving centre based on pearl exploitation.

    20 years later the pearl beds were depleted and the island was abandoned.

    Currently the only guardians of this heritage site are the fishermen, who are on the brink of extinction because of deplorable living conditions. In 2007, hope was returned to this community when the Chavez administration promised to revitalize their historic island.

    “The Cubagua Project” called for the construction of a school, a desalination machine, and employment opportunities through the restoration of the ruins.

    Jorge Armand was hired to excavate the ruins and the community was given a small advance to fix their homes.

    However, two years later the funds for the project mysteriously vanished… Armand was fired halfway through his excavation and the inhabitants were left without hope for the future. Flor de la Mar gives an unprecedented glimpse into this vanishing world through the touching testimonies of the people who’ve tried to protect this important historical site.