The tiny settlement of Bombay Beach nestles on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea in South Eastern California. It’s a fractured piece of Americana, a relic of an abortive 1950’s tourism development that now lies neglected, forgotten and rapidly decaying. It’s also home to a small but eclectic posse of folk who exist very literally on the fringes of society. Confronted by death and decay at every turn, one could be forgiven for thinking this was a place shorn of hope, a haven for those who had given up on ‘normal’ life. However, Alma Ha’rel’s stunning documentary paints a very different and utterly beautiful picture of life lived on the edge.
Ha’rel’s picture opens with a prologue of a ‘50’s advert selling the Salton Sea as a booming region of prosperity and growth, the very definition of the American Dream. Fast forward to the present day and the reality couldn’t be more markedly different. Bombay Beach lies rusting and almost deserted, a derelict and unforgiving place.
crash/burn 