Dominican park ranger Eligio Eloy Vargas and his Haitian wife Calina led a life emblematic of the complex relationship between their respective countries—and, just as emblematically, Eligio’s life ended when he was killed in a machete attack against the backdrop of an illegal trade in charcoal.
With investigative rigor and stunning cinematography, filmmakers Juan Mejia Botero and Jake Kheel use Eloy Vargas’ murder case to address rising tensions along the Dominican Republic-Haiti border and larger issues concerning environmental devastation, ethnic violence and the fight over natural resources. Death By a Thousand Cuts was the winner of the Audience Award at the DOC NYC festival.