Amy Nicholson ‘s HAPPY CAMPERS captures the warmth and loss of an unlikely Shangri La
In Amy Nicholson ‘s Happy Campers, people from all over the country have come together to find community in a world where loneliness is an epidemic.
HAPPY CAMPERS captures the warmth and loss of an unlikely Shangri La
The documentary lets the members of the Inlet View community tell the story of how they all found their blue-collar Shangri La. Told without a narrator, the story quickly captivates the audience’s interest before dropping the news that the community is being demolished.
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This narrator-less documentary quickly becomes a saga of a community found and lost. Each member takes a turn telling how they found Inlet View and what it means to them. One resident talks about finding her place amongst the campers and later bringing her sister in. Her whole family made the community their summer retreat for years.
HAPPY CAMPERS: one family’s dilemma becomes…
As the bulldozers loom, one family’s dilemma becomes: what to do about crematory ashes spread at the property during previous summer visits?
Other campers go from sharing the whimsical discovery stories of their special place in Florida’s coastal community.
The injustice and sorrow are palpable when the audience reaches the big move part of Happy Campers.
There’s a scene where two members are frustrated with the developers who purchased the community. When they finally leave, those members leave nothing standing they can use in their new plans. Although there is no narration and fewer voiceovers as the campers clear out for good, the ending is still a tearjerker.
Expect a collection of quirky and eclectic personalities that shine through as the community’s story unfolds.
The adage, “Every person has a place,” is true for community members.
One camper pops off homemade explosives, and no one bats an eye. Neighbors walk up and help themselves to bottomless beverage coolers. Everyone’s grandkids gather over a fire to discuss the merits of burnt marshmallows. As the community winds down, neighbors help one another uproot years of memories.
Happy Campers certainly has themes critical of capitalism and gentrification. The larger message is about how people come together to create a safe space they nurture and return to year after year for decades. As the film closes, the question of “what happens next” is unspoken. It lingers alongside shots of the empty campgrounds, a depressing reminder of the community displaced.
Amy Nicholson ‘s Happy Campers, people from all over the country have come together to find community in a world where loneliness is an epidemic.
Catch Happy Campers on VOD on iTunes and all major streaming platforms in the US and Canada. For more information, visit https://www.happycampers.film/.