Through our collaboration with Alexander Whittle of New Light Studio, GeoTenerife has produced two documentaries LAVA BOMBS: Truths Behind the Volcano and LAVA BOMBS 2: The Reconstruction. GeoTenerife aims to tell the unheard human stories of the people affected by the 2021 eruption of the Volcán de Tajogaite, La Palma. GeoTenerife funded the production of the Lava Bombs project in its entirety to maintain an independent voice to ensure that lessons learnt in La Palma could reach far beyond the shores of the Canary Islands and is committed to making all of the materials open access for students and researchers worldwide.
Science communication should be accessible, coherent, and in a unified message
Lack of information resulted in residents living precariously, anxiety-riden, and uncertain of the future.
Unclear messaging and unfulfilled promises of what aid would arrive lead to distrust and anger
La Palma will need a systemic change to improve policy for the next crisis
The pressure of a 24/7 news cycle on the emergency managers, politicians, and scientists
The promises made to residents early in the recovery caused high expectations that could not be met
Inflated egos can interfere with effective collaboration and problem solving between organisations
Disabled people and non-spanish speakers not being appropriately accommodated for during the reconstruction
A communities deep connection to place should be considered during reconstruction efforts
Despite the challenges, Palmero's are determined to rebuild their lives and communities.
Our commitment to researching the impacts of the eruption and recovery is ongoing. We make all of our research openly available, including 3D drone models, interactive timeline, witness testimony, and monthly reconstruction updates.
•Homelessness on La Palma increases since the Tajogaite eruption in 2021, likely due to a lack of social housing on the island and the lack of response from the authorities to help this. • Genesis project El agua y yo competition announced by GeoTenerife at the La Palma Science We...
Los Llanos de Aridane City Council and the Cabildo de La Palma have met with residents of Todoque to listen to their requirements and inform them on the reconstruction of the neighbourhood, which was completely destroyed by the lava flow. The Spanish Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic...
The church charity Caritas has announced it has helped 3,400 victims of the eruption since it began in 2021. On the 3rd anniversary of the eruption, two marches took place organised by the Platform for Affected People containing hundreds of citizens, protesting against the reconstruction process ...
We are committed to open communication and thus we make the full interviews of the protagonists featured in the documentaries available for free for teaching and research purposes on our YouTube page.
To learn more about the perspectives of our protagonists; The full interview will be available on our YouTube channel soon.
Hugo Betancourt and Melissa Rodríquez lost their home in the eruption and spent months sharing with family and struggling to register their paperwork before being offered temporary accommodation in a wooden home.
Juan Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez, the chairman of the bar in La Palma, discusses the shortcomings in the reconstruction response and the need to change the law to ensure people can receive more equitable and timely help.
Noelia Garciá Leal, Mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane. Responsible for the municipality with the highest number of affected residents, Noelia discusses the challenges of helping so many people with such a wide variety of requirements and circumstances.
Samu Cáceres Leal. After his participation in Part 1, we follow Samu as he struggles to build a new home for his family and witness the barriers and struggles he encounters along the way.
Andrea. We follow Andrea’s struggles to start again after seeing the impact of losing her home and two rental properties in Part 1, and she reflects on the future of tourism in La Palma.
Melania Martín, of church charity Caritas, discusses the essential role Caritas and other charity organisations have played during the recovery, supporting residents who lost everything and are now living in limbo. Despite large numbers of aid being spoken about, the reality she sees on the ground is very different.
Anselmo Pestana Padrón, the Spanish government delegate in the Canary Islands. In Lava Bombs 2, he says the Government has been the “absorbent cotton” that has helped the island in the recovery, supporting the Canary Islands government and the island Cabildo.
Jennifer Sánchez, President of the Las Manchas Neighbourhood Association, outlines the many challenges residents have faced as they struggle to recover after the eruption.
Mariano Hernández Zapata, President of La Palma’s Cabildo, discusses the difficulties the island government is facing post-eruption, as responsibility for the management of the ongoing emergency falls back to them.
Raúl Camacho, Tourism and Sports Councillor for La Palma talks about the need for La Palma to grow its tourism sector after the emergency and the difficulty of attracting investors to the island
Fran Garlaz, who owns and runs EcoFina Plantalogica, discusses the impact of the eruption and the recovery process on his sustainable multi-crop farm.
Mónica Viña Salguero, headmistress of the CEIP La Laguna school, discusses the lack of progress on rebuilding the infant school and the impact on the students and their families.
Cecilia García Hernandez, Spokesperson for the platform against the Coast Road, discusses in Lava Bombs 2, how farms unaffected by the eruption would be destroyed by the construction of a new road.
Elías Navarro, Spokesperson for the Platform Against the Coast Road, discusses the fight against the new coastal road.
Juan Morín, Member of the Platform of Neighbours affected by Tajogaite Volcano, discusses the lack of coordination between administrations and the need for a new Volcano Law.
Hector Fernando Izquierdo Triana, is the special commissioner for the La Palma Reconstruction appointed by the Spanish President. He speaks to the many challenges the authorities are facing, and the need to reevaluate for future events of this kind.
Sergio Rodriquez, Mayor of El Paso, expresses that the expectations that the Government had created for recovery could not be met and underscores the need for better communication (even when the messages are difficult) and community involvement.
Monica Riverol, La Palma resident, has been very vocal in the reconstruction, and in the film, she forcefully outlines the frustration felt by Palmeros.
Stavros Meletlidis is a volcanologist with IGN (Instituto Geográfico National), the institution legally responsible for monitoring volcanoes in the Canary Islands. He calls for locals to accept that the Canary Islands are volcanic – and we must all learn to live with that reality in order to be more resilient in future.
Omar and Margaret‘s home was buried under 12 meters of lava. After a year of living in cramped accommodation sharing with family, they were offered temporary accommodation in a controversial development made from adapted shipping containers. Two years on from the eruption they are still struggling with paperwork to qualify for state aid to support them to build a new home.
We ground-truth our films by providing screenings of our documentaries for residents before international release to allow Palmeros to ask questions, comment on, and discuss the contents of the film.
“The documentary lacks criticism about many things that were done wrong before the volcano” [Comment: this is included in Lava Bombs 1: The Eruption]
"A fundamental concept, brilliantly put in evidence by the Lava Bombs film, is the difficult relationship that exists between citizens and political institutions during these extreme events, particularly after the occurrence of the tragedy, as well as the issues that concern the relationship between the science community and politics, especially before a natural disaster occurs."
The documentary gets right to the heart of the human side of volcanic eruptions. It reveals the truths and emotions of these events in real time in a raw and honest way. Though this may make it difficult and hard to watch, it makes it all the more important.
Thank you for your hard work. I hope it will never be forgotten. It's a very good piece of work. Congratulations.
The documentary seemed very engaging and realistic to me. It perfectly reflects the dichotomy between the political representatives and the affected individuals. Our politicians have not lived up to the strength, rectitude, and humanity of the people of La Palma. The music in the documentary was fantastic. Congratulations and thank you very much.
“A very honest, loyal piece of work. I am proud to see your work and effort. How can I help or support the work you do?”
“Firstly, thank you for giving a voice to Palmeros from so many points of view. If you are going to record more content, it would be good to include testimony from residents in La Bombilla and Puerto Naos, the fines they have received for returning to their homes with no gases in La Bombilla, problems with the QR codes that didn’t work and the lack of economic support when they had to be away from their homes from the first day of the eruption.:
“I would like you to keep me informed about future interviews and the order by the Government of the Canary Islands for those affected to have to bear the cost of demolishing their homes that were affected by the volcano.”
“This marvellous documentary is perfectly told and reminds me how in 2014 when I had just graduated I met with Noelia García to talk about the need for workshops for information on volcanic risk in schools and I was completely ignored. Information is power. Thank you for your work, congratulations.”
“Very good work. It’s a necessary topic for the population in La Palma and the Canary Islands in general, to they can be more aware and be able to visualise the problems from different angles and viewpoints. Congratulations for all the work you have done. Wishing you lots of encouragement.”
“A thousand thank yous for giving a voice and visibility to what has and is happening on this island. Thank you for the effort, and I hope it has a positive impact beyond just making people feel sorry for us. PS: we overuse the word “difficult” to justify the lack of effort by the institutions”
“You dealt with the topics very well, with tact and care. For future showings, it would be good to organise something with those that have been affected so these people are not forgotten, and that you do more surveys to find out more about the aid that has not been received . You should also talk about the fact that they knew the volcano was going to erupt and they didn’t warn the people properly” [Comment: This topic is addressed in Lava Bombs 1: The Eruption]
“Good job. It encompasses the majority of the complex and specific problems that have arisen on this island that those that have lost their home are suffering because of the particular way of life we have always had here. You should add something about the demolitions people were asked to pay from their own pocket?"
"I hope that thanks to this film many people can see the truth of what we went through and are still living here. Thanks to you everything will be seen outside the island and we hope the change of law we need so desperately will be possible. Thank you, thank you, and thank you”.
Thank you very much. A very necessary document, true and with heart. I understand the difficulty of selecting the ideas and images to include, in any case, very successful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. When we see things like this, we trust Humanity again. Heartfelt thanks.”
“Very authentic. Keep interviewing and uncovering the truth as told by Palmeros who suffered it, not by politicians and journalists.’
Lava Bombs is a timely, compelling, emotional tour de force which tells the story of the volcanic eruption on La Palma in September 2021. The documentary offers a necessary account of the emergency plans that were in place for evacuation, a critical account of how those plans were communicated and executed on the ground, and how local communities are faring in the immediate aftermath
“Thank you for being our voice”.
"Lava Bombs brings to attention all the crises that happened during the eruption in a professional manner. The different problems that occurred following the eruption are clearly outlined. To be able to see the response to the crises from different stakeholders' perspectives is compelling. Everyone's perspective is clearly denoted: residents, scientists, and politicians. All the narratives are strongly attached to the soul of each character."
“I think this documentary is very interesting. I liked it a lot. Congratulations for this work.”
"Lava Bombs directed by Alexander Whittle and produced by Sharon Backhouse throws light onto the 2021 La Palma eruption from a very different, yet important perspective. The documentary brings to light the elaborate and complex interaction between scientists, residents and government officials that is involved in any disaster response. Lava Bombs can go a long way in showing us all how effective communication and proper planning is crucial to manage disasters."
"We must show it hasn’t been easy for residents especially in the reconstruction. We are still living in a social emergency, and if serious action isn’t taken it could get worse. We need people and professionals like you to help people understand our reality. THANK YOU!"
“Very good. Congratulations on the work done. I hope it will never be forgotten. Congratulations”
“I think it’s very nice, it’s about La Palma and it’s not the same to live in your own home than to have to share with your grandparents or friends”
“They never understood. Never. There are no natural catastrophes, only a lack of planning and management.”
“Thank you for your work, and for ensuring this will last. This documentary will ensure Palmeros are not forgotten. You could add testimony from people who have lost their jobs, who lived in the hotel. Hopefully all of us Palmeros will be able to recover our heart, because it’s broken!!”
“We would like it if after a year another report was prepared, reminding everyone of what has happened, what has been received up to that date, and the impact this has had on the families”
“Let’s remember all of us have been affected in La Palma, not just those who lost their home. It’s hard for the rest of us to advance too, for example when we want to rent or buy a home. We want support for everyone!”
“In general I like the documentary, it is difficult to talk about all the conflicts generated by the volcano in such a short time. I liked the start and end of the documentary, the images and the heart are emotional. Also the storyline about the fight against the Tazacorte coast road. Things to bear in mind: more information about the gases in La Bombilla and Puerto Naos; witness testimony from La Bombilla”
I think we should make a third part of Lava Bombs: about those affected by the third volcano: the administration and censorship
Lava Bombs: Truths of the Volcano is available on Amazon Prime, Google Play, and Apple TV (in 4K).
LAVA BOMBS 2: The Reconstruction, Winner at the Madrid International Film festival, and officially selected for the Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards, Awareness Festival, and Madrid Arthouse Film Festival, will be released in Autumn 2024. Follow our social media to stay up to date with our release schedule.
