Jungletown (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Fall from Eden - full transcript

Wow. Some people are on
their hands and knees crawling

with hot wax on their back
while some people are partying.

Victoria: I'm over being used.
I don't want to just sit back

and watch Kalu Yala taking
advantage of these students

and strip them of their money,
their knowledge,

and everything they have.

They're children
who are signing things

without reading them, and so
we need to take care of that

as the adults is what you're saying.
Man: Yeah.

Knows they're
not getting a dollar back.

Steph is talking about
kicking you



and Melanie out of the program

If you're not back in the valley
by 9 a.m. tomorrow,

I would consider that
a very real possibility.

And they say
don't ever walk alone.

You should never
walk that track alone.

Ever.

It's a dangerous area.

Suicide Hill is the worst part.

I've never experienced anything
like this before.

She has a look on her face and I'm
like, "Don't worry I have my knife."

I have my knife in my hand
more times than not.

Melanie: The other thing is we
got either fed shark -- shark.

Like, shark.

Or that we were about
to get fed shark.



Shark.
Shark.

They are really good at covering
things up.

11 or 12 people have
left this semester.

People are still leaving.
And people are still leaving.

**

Hey, gang,
some really quick announcements.

Number one, welcome back!

[ Cheers and applause ]

Is this -- Where is --
Where is everyone?

- Good morning.
- Good morning, darling.

We're going to go back
to Kalu Yala,

'cause we need to find out more.

Over this week, we've managed
to do a bit of research.

I don't think that
we're necessarily a cult.

I think that there's definitely

some sort of manipulation
of, like, behavior

happening within Kalu Yala.

I just feel mentally unstable
in the valley.

There's definitely
some shit going on,

but the end of the day,

I want a letter of
recommendation from John,

and to take as much knowledge
as I can from him, so...

Purely selfish,
but that's important to me,

and it's going to get me
to good places in my life.

And I need Alice
to be on my side

because I need
my college instructors

to approve everything
that I'm doing,

and if I leave,
then I don't get credit.

I still haven't had her do that.

The minute that happens,
I'm just so done.

I'm obviously going to use this
time to work on the projects,

but I'm also going to use it
to actually figure out

what the hell is going on.

It's just -- It's manipulation
above all things.

That's what it is. We're all
being manipulated to fuck.

Everybody here
is creating chocolate.

So, I'm trying
to think outside of the box.

I am making
cranberry hibiscus chips,

and I'm using kale chip recipes.

These are full of vitamin C
and all kinds of antioxidants,

and cranberry is good
for your urinary tract.

I'm craving sugar all the time,
and I love these things,

and I was like,
"How can I incorporate the two?"

So, I decided to come up
with cranberry hibiscus chips,

and then hopefully sell it
out of our little general store.

All right. All right.

I am one of the founders
of La Tenda,

the first revenue-generating
storefront here in Kalu Yala.

[ Indistinct conversations ] My
extent of cooking is box brownies,

so this will be interesting.

I took on a job
in corporate America,

but I wasn't' the happiest
that I knew I could be

because of my background.

I come from a family
of entrepreneurs,

and the last year of my life
has been crazy.

I started feeling this energy
that came over me,

and it was overwhelming.

I said, "Mom."
She said, "What's going on?"

I said, "I feel
someone else's energy, Mom."

She wasn't responding to me,
and I looked over

and I saw a tear drop fall
from underneath her sunglasses,

and I said, "You know something
I don't know."

"You have a sister, Taylor.
You have a sister,

and I don't know
how the hell you know that."

It was a secret
they never told a soul.

I just nodded my head
and smiled really big,

and she said,
"We've got to tell your father."

He was 19 when he had Ellen,
and he wasn't ready.

Me and my sister,
we met at a restaurant.

I walked in, and I had never
even seen a photo of her before,

but I knew it was her as soon as
I saw her sitting at the table.

I saw myself in her.

So, I've learned
that I am wildly intuitive,

so when I received a phone call
from a good friend,

and she described
Kalu Yala to me,

and I'm sitting in my cubicle
at work ripping my hair out,

I took a leap into the unknown

and moved seven hours
away from everybody,

and everything I had ever known.

- What is in the box?
- We've got food for La Tenda.

The goods.
We got the goods.

It's my first experience
with starting my own business,

and granted it's on
a really small scale,

but La Tenda has been
a huge success.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Wait! Snickers almond.
I changed my mind.

We sold out of our initial
investment within 20 minutes.

I just handed the profits
over to Esteban.

I need my wallet!
$120 profit.

That money, we hope,
is going to go back to interns

in providing materials
and ingredients for developing

sustainable items to help make
this place a closed-loop system.

The only complaint
we're really getting is,

"Oh, this is a sustainable city,

and you're bringing
in all these wrappers."

So, now we're implementing
these plastic bricks,

and we're also buying things
in larger --

Like, we bought --

We have this thing of trail mix,

and so, we're serving it
in bamboo cups that we made,

but it helps
with sustainability,

because you're not buying
individually packaged trail mix.

**

Victoria:
Alice told us if we weren't here

by 9 a.m. this morning,

that we were going to be
kicked out of the program,

and the rain has kind of put
a halt on our plan to get there,

so now we're just
hanging out in San Miguel

waiting for the rain to stop.

We told Alice,
but she doesn't really --

Woman: She hasn't check
the messages, yeah.

I feel like we're treated like
four year olds, almost,

because we haven't dranken
the Kool-Aid, or whatever.

We haven't what?
Dranken the Kalu Yala Kool-Aid.

I'm going to go in there,

and if they try to say
they want to kick me out,

I'm going to quit
before they're able to,

because I need to have control
over this one.

I can't let them have
any more control over me.

I'm excited to feel out the mood
of the valley,

see where everyone's
head space is at.

I had a lot of stuff mentally --

Oh, sorry.
If it's personal,

you don't need to talk about it.
I just know --

Everyone seems to have
a different story.

I don't know if I'm staying
or leaving.

You've got three weeks left.

I know, and that's what
I'm holding onto.

You are never going to
regret staying.

There is a huge chance that you
are going to regret leaving. Yeah.

I don't ever think it's
a bad thing to question,

because that means
you're thinking about it.

Sometimes people that ask
the tough questions

are looked at as, like...
you're fighting the system,

but really, like,
this is your money,

and you should feel comfortable

with where your money
is being spent,

and the time
that is being spent here,

and I really hope
that you find those answers.

Let's get you to the valley.

Yeah, definitely.

Um, we can try to fit
that bag in here.

We?

I mean, you're right next to it.
Come on, girl!

All right,
I think this will fit.

Simon:
$20 sunglasses! $20!

You can use them
if your eyes hurt.

You can use them, uh, you know,
sometimes when --

Yeah, you can just use them
for sunglasses stuff.

They're great.

Woman:
You're a great salesman Simon.

Traditional Kuna Yala design.

Sunglasses, Molly.

Just look at
the state of affairs.

Look at this. These would look
great on your face.

I do need some
new sunglasses, too.

And they're only $20.
What's the U.V. protection?

Normally, they have stickers on.

Sunglasses -- $20. They're
great. Go to a great cause.

You don't know
that they're sunglasses --

[ Speaking inaudibly ]
All profits go to La Tenda!

**

They look great on your face.
Look it. Look it.

Boom!
I go from a 10 to an 11.

It's great!

**

- Welcome home! -Hey. -You made it.
[ Indistinct conversations ]

Man: Good to have you back.

Ashleigh: It's good to be back,
I think. Yeah.

I don't know if I should
go find Esteban

or if I should go find Alice.

I want to take control back,

and if they're threatening
to kick me out or discipline me,

I'm ready to go on my own.
I want to go on my own account.

Ugh!

**

I did notice. Everyone's
been talking about it.

Everyone is very aware
of our absence.

Yeah?
And regardless

of what you guys feel
you need to do,

and you know I will support you
through any of it,

I have chosen to stay.

I figured.
I owe it to myself

to be able
to finish my time here

in a way that is positive

while I'm looking at it
from the inside.

It's really a shame
that the place

I fell in love with, initially,

turned out to be less
than I thought it was.

- I get it.
- Yeah, it is.

- Damn, you look swanky.
- Hello.

You look very fashionable
right now.

[ Laughter ]
Lovely.

Cold plus mold
equals jungle pants.

So, do you guys
want to talk to Alice?

I intend on having
a very civil conversation,

making my thoughts clear,

trying to be positive
about this whole situation.

Yeah, we have to
go talk to Alice.

- For hours.
- Can we go up?

Can I bring this back to you,
in case this goes out?

Can we go up the other way,
which is less muddy?

Mm-hmm.
Please.

I've yet to hear a good excuse

as to why it took
until Wednesday evening

to make it out here.

When I see that we're not
striving towards being

a sustainable, modern town,
I'm out.

[ Voice breaking ] I'm not going to sit
here and let them talk to me like that.

**

Sarah, you're doing this.
You made it happen. You know.

Camp Kalu Yala!
Camp Kalu Yala!

Woot! Woot!
Yeah, I'm pretty excited.

You had this idea, like, Day 2.
[ Speaks indistinctly ]

I did, yeah.

Sarah:
So, I said what I wanted to do

was do, like, a camp-type thing

where the kids
from San Miguel get to come

and experience Kalu Yala,

doing hands-on activities
with the interns,

with the directors first-hand.

**

[ Child cooing ]

I know Kalu Yala's
really adamant

about whatever they do
is building the relationship

between Kalu Yala
and San Miguel.

No. Go fish.
Mm-hmm.

People have been trying to bring
students in San Miguel

to the valley so many times,
so I hope she can pull it off.

One, two, three, four, five...

Six.
Six.

I'm the teacher in
the American school system,

and I'm just
really frustrated with it.

**

Vegas is home, so I'll always
love it because of that,

but I've never really connected
with it too much,

especially the strip.

It's a lot of superficial,
materialistic ideas

that I just don't agree with.

So, we're starting to get into
kind of the not-so-good area,

which is where my school is.

We're a title-1 school.

The kids are
very centered around money,

because that's what they see
as a way of being successful.

One kid was like, "Wouldn't that
be cool if it rained money?"

And I was so taken back by it,

and I was like, "No,
it's cool that it rains rain!"

It's just scary to think
that seven- and eight-year-olds

are already seeing money
as something

a lot more important
than happiness or experience.

Poverty is different here in
San Miguel than it is back home.

To them, it's not poverty.

They don't see themselves

as having less than
what they should, it just... is.

Oh, my God.
They're so skinny.

Hi!
[ Whistles ]

There's no, "Well, I want
a phone, and I want a nice car."

They don't have
those thoughts here,

and they're happy.
It's beautiful.

Esteban:
Sarah has this ability

to see the educational system
from this vantage point

of someone
who's been in education.

I am so excited that you
had an idea and made it happen.

It's amazing.
We've been trying to do

a Camp Kalu Yala for years.

It's super important to have San
Miguel kids coming to Kalu Yala.

San Miguel shouldn't be
this, like, rest stop

leaving the valley.

It's super important
to have Kalu Yala staff

go to San Miguel.
[ All cheering ]

And then we have Jamieson.

He was this hot shot consultant
at Ernst & Young.

For him to go overnight
with a family,

with our friends
from San Miguel --

Every weekend should look
like this weekend.

No, no, no!

Gracias.
Muchas, muchas gracias.

Jamieson:
I have some groceries for them.

I'm going to make them
a strawberry shortcake,

which I thought was, like,
an American dessert,

to share, and try
to speak Spanish.

**

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Laughter ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Jhonny?

Woman: Cereal.

Boys: Cereal and milk.

Cereal.

Cereal and milk.

Cereal and milk.

[ Laughter ]

All: Ohh!

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Sarah: It's been great. They
went on a hike with biology.

They planted
some spinach with ag.

I think they're realizing
how hard people work here,

and they were expecting it

to be a lot more relaxed
and laid back.

"Let's play in the jungle."

She's pretty quiet.
Yeah?

So, I think it's cool
that she came over here

on her own and wanted to learn.
That's --

Yeah, I love it!
[ Chuckles ]

Gracias, amiga.

**

[ Laughs ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Gracias.

It radiates the warmth
that I kind of expected,

and only confirms that they're
amazing people, right?

[ Indistinct conversations ]

**

Sarah: It's everything
I thought it would be and more.

Obviously, they're going to have
a great time here,

but what are they learning,

and how are they going
to bring that back home,

and how are we going to
maintain that?

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

That's a wrap on Camp Kalu Yala.

I say big success.

**

[ Grunts, laughs ]

When I came here, I was hoping

that I would find something here

that would make me want to stay,

and I ended up falling in love
with San Miguel.

I love the community,
and I love Kalu Yala,

but it literally, like,
rips me to pieces

thinking of my kids back home

who I feel like aren't being
given an opportunity.

Then, whenever I started
thinking about how sad I was

leaving the kids here,
I also remembered every semester

there's a new batch
of education interns

who are just as passionate

for making the lives
of these kids better,

and who want to make
a difference in the community.

I think that what we're doing at
Kalu Yala is very important.

We're given an environment

where we have the freedom
to be creative

and be curious and be
experimental with our ideas,

and that's something
that we're not providing

with the kids back home.

I don't know what I'm doing
when I go home,

but I know that it's going
to be something with education.

I'm really going to push to do
what I can to make a change,

because they deserve it.

You've got a couple of interns
who are leaving the program.

Melanie: It's a shame that I
didn't get to say goodbye to him.

I don't think anybody
saw him leave.

I think that there's probably
a correlation

between people who leave

and people who didn't have much

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Welcome back ladies.
How are you?

It's been a day.
Yeah.

I apologize for
the overrunning days.

It wasn't any, like, disrespect,

and I didn't intend
for that to be the case.

We also have something to say

and we put forward
and have been considered

that we could've possibly
been fed shark meat, and --

I'm sorry. There's no correlation...
I -- No, no, no, no, no. But -- But --

...between the rumor of shark meat being fed...
There's -- There's -- There is a correlation.

But there is.
But, like -- But --

and you guys not showing up
until Wednesday evening.

Alice. Alice.
What the fuck are you guys going to do

when you have jobs one day?

Alice. Alice,
it was raining today.

We woke up at 5:00 in
the morning to be here at 9:00.

You guys were supposed
to be here Sunday night.

And we -- I have yet
to hear a good excuse

as to why it took you guys
until Wednesday evening

to make it out here.

I would be happy to sit here
and explain to you

the reasons why I wasn't here

for the past couple
of days, okay.

I was exhausted.
I had been --

We had been working all week
on our projects.

On top of that, we found out
that Kalu Yala's

removed the sustainability tag
for the project as a whole.

It's now not known
as the world's

most sustainable village online.

I'm sorry. Repeat that.
I didn't --

They're not aiming to be

the world's most
sustainable modern town anymore.

They removed that.
This is supposed to be a facilitator

between point "A"
of the degree that I have.

The reasons why I came here
was to help --

become part
of a sustainable town.

Okay, you know
what's going to help

that facilitation even more?

Having good recommendations
from the institute

that you were working with.

I don't think that I want
to be associated

with this institution anymore.

So... that's
me being done.

[ Voice breaking ]
I am so done with it.

**

I'm not going to sit here and
let them talk to me like that,

and I'm not going to
be treated like that. I'm done.

Once again, it's turned on us,

and we're made to feel like

we did something wrong
once again

when this place is wrong.

This whole place is wrong.

**

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Discuss the shark thing,

because that actually
precipitated a lot

for a few people.
Esteban: Yeah.

So, I'm just going
to clear the air

for the entire community
at lunch.

Can you also, if you're making
this announcement

and then leaving,
which would be wonderful,

say also, "Hey, our website used

to say world's
most modern sustainable town."

And that we can't say that
in good conscience,

because we have
plastic and trash.

Because everyone has been like,

"What about the change on the
website?" Yeah. [ Speaks indistinctly ]

You know what the change
on the website does?

- Makes it more -- Yeah. -Yep.
Yep. -We're being more like,

"All right, let's stop
patting ourselves on the back."

Right. Yeah. [ Speaks indistinctly
] This is what you want.

You want the change
in the website.

- Yeah. -I'll deliver that.
- Great.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

So, I just wanted to clarify
a couple of things

that have been going around.

One is very specific.

Who's heard about
the shark-meat incident?

Okay.
Basically, because

there are so many different
types of fish out there,

people end up passing off
certain species

of fish as others, right?

This is something most of you
are probably familiar with.

At no fault of our own,

people might be capturing
other species of fish

and passing it off as snapper,

because there is a market
for snapper,

and they go out,
and they catch something,

potentially like a shark,

and then that gets passed off
as snapper along the chain.

What could have happened
in one incident here --

Potentially something like shark

might have been passed on
as snapper to our distributor.

Just -- Let's clarify that.
It was snapper.

I'm the one that bought it.
Okay.

I saw it.
It was snapper.

Okay, thank you.
It was snapper.

There we go.

But, why we're
having this conversation

is because not so much because
whether it was snapper or shark,

it's like,
"Hey, do these guys even care

if it was shark or not?"

I think that's what
we need to get at.

Yes, first of all,
we absolutely do.

So, don't think, like,
anyone's just like,

"Oh, sweet! Shark meat!"

That's something that,
I know, personally,

as a conservationist,
I take very seriously,

and I know that the rest
of the staff does, too, okay?

But we've also recognized
that we had to re-calibrate,

redefine our expressed vision,

so we changed the wording
on our website

away from kind of
the "We're trying to build

the world's most modern
sustainable town."

The new writing is
"A hidden village

in the middle
of the jungle."

And, the website
says nothing about

sustainability anymore.
I checked the other day.

We're still 100%
on the sustainability train.

It's not like,
"Oh, you know what?

We tried the sustainability
thing. Fuck it."

We're still very much
on the same trajectory.

Does everybody understand
that we are 100%

still on
the sustainability train?

It's still our thing.
It's never going to change.

When I see that
we're not doing that,

that we're not striving
for being

a sustainable modern town,
I'm out.

Thanks guys.
[ Applause ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

There's a lot of inertia
that's pulling this place

back into just becoming
whatever Jimmy's version

of a shitty suburb is.

Alice:
You guys are adults.

We're not going to go
have you sit in time-out.

**

You want to jump in the
sound booth for a few minutes?

Yeah, I was about to ask.

So, what's up?
What's the word?

What are some thoughts
you're having?

As much as
whatever happened happened,

we are all here for a reason.

Not only are we paying
to be here,

but we genuinely want
to be here.

And so, that in itself
should be taken seriously.

At times, you know,
there's things that we said

that were emotional,

specifically,
that expulsion thing.

Alice:
You guys are adults.

We're not going to have you
go sit in time-out.

I want my students to know that
their absence is recognized.

Their presence is missed.

Like, it just isn't the best way

to communicate
to emotional people.

That happened.
We can move forward.

All we want to do is love you,

and help you
run this place, so...

Love and care for me.
Love and care for me.

- We love you! -We love you!
- All right, see you, guys.

- Good vibes. Good vibes.
- Bye. -Bye.

Melanie: That was
a really emotional moment.

I feel better about things,

and I'm glad everyone's, like,
kind of on the same page.

I think I'm more understood,
but I'm probably... gonna... stay.

- You are?
- She is.

Keep the positive vibes, man.
[ Laughs ]

Positive vibrations.

Man:
Have a great day, kids.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Who's excited for the day?
Raise your hand.

Woman: Yeah!

**

Are you ready to shurette
the shit out of this?

[ Laughing ]

Woman: The architect
and Jimmy are rolling up.

- Oh. Oh, hello.
- Oh, hi!

Buenoz diez.
Sorry to be late.

I hate to be rude.

I want to go ahead
and introduce Ricardo Arosemena,

his associate Tony Way.

Ricardo and his firm

are probably
the best architects in Panama.

Ricardo and Tony
will help guide us

and tell what the day
is going to look like.

Then we will do
a quick site walk

just so these guys
can feel the site

that goes with all the talk.

We've taken it as far as we can
take it with our skills,

and I think at this point,

we've got to test
how that translates

into a master plan
that's workable.

So, we have a couple big,
major trees.

There's a couple in the farm,

so those we want to keep
as icons in the town.

Jimmy: Yeah.

We talked a lot about alleys,

and wanting to make
this place more pedestrian.

- Mm-hmm.
- We loved that --

What do you call these?
The green pavers?

The, like, brick grass.

But that cars can also
drive down them,

and they're good for all
the rain that we have here.

Mm-hmm. And those are the
most beautiful streets.

Everybody wants to walk on them.

Totally pedestrian.
What does that look like?

You know, I guess
that's the next step.

We'll go on a walking tour.

We're in the jungle, baby.

If we go that way,

we got two huge
holding tanks over there.

What's the name of that river?
The little one?

The Iguana.
The Iguana is down there.

It goes up there.

And then to Topo shifts
and goes like this.

This is one of those trees
that's marked

as a specimen tree,

and then this is
one of the drio royos here.

This is greenhouse
and market garden.

The Arroyo is on the other side
of that finger.

That's one of those trees
we were talking about.

Then you've got that drop,
and then you've got

the flat area below it.
You can see it's just got

a little edge to it,
but as you get close to the tree

you can see the little
rise start to take off.

Then you've got
this area up here.

Then you've got this
flat area down there.

Like, you can drive a car up
right here, Ricardo.

There's been a lot of pressure
issues with our water line.

Let's get a demonstration.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Water pressure
if we take this spigot...

- That's good.
- That's pretty normal.

Woman: It's a little low,
though, isn't it?

It's supposed to be higher.

It used to be
below the first branch.

Aah!

[ Indistinct conversations ]

That was fun.

[ Laughter ]

Hey, it's hot outside, man.

Feel better?

**

What else, gentlemen?

Get to work.
Drawing boards?

All right, we're going
to drawing boards now.

We've got to have 15 classrooms
that can hold 15 people each.

Got to have an auditorium
that can hold 200 people.

And then we've got to have

administration offices
for 30 people.

Ricardo: At first,
it's going to be confusing.

It's confusing for everybody,

but we'll just start
generating work,

and by the end of tomorrow,
I think we'll all be amazed

at what has come out.

Maybe this porch is built,
like, right along --

Architecture is about drawing.

It's not so much about speaking.
We can talk and talk and talk,

but then at the end,
it has to be in paper.

If you can't put it on paper,

it means, you know,
you can't make it work.

Exactly.

Yeah, absolutely.

This is where you feel like
you're in the heart of the town.

I, for one, would like
to see main street be

what will take you from there,
all the way deep into Kalu Yala.

Jimmy: It's more like
an avenue centrale

or something like that?
Yes.

Well, that's beautiful.

I like the way you
do perspective and plan.

Woman: What is it?
It's a nice format.

The blocks here
would be mixed use.

They'd have maybe
commercial spaces

where there'd be a bar,

a café, a restaurant,
some different shops.

Jake: I think there's a lot
of inertia

that's pulling this place

back into just becoming
a shitty suburb,

or whatever Jimmy's version
of a shitty suburb is.

There's a balance that I think

can easily sway either way
right now.

There's definitely a push
and pull between ecological,

sustainable,
intentional actions here,

and pretty
but useless structures.

Jimmy: Any last things for Ricardo
and Tony before they take off?

All: Thank you.

Yeah, thank you is a good one.

- Thank you.
- Our pleasure.

Yeah, thank you
for letting us come in.

It was super fun,
and come visit us in Casco.

Tomorrow, Ronnie, I guess,
is going to pick you guys up.

All you guys are going
to get to the city,

go to the presentation
tomorrow at the Bristol.

So, with that, we done!

All right, thanks guys!

**

Cahill: I really took
inspiration week

as a week to be inspired,

and really think about,
fundamentally,

why I came here,
and what I wanted to do,

but I have just got to go.

It sounds kind of crazy,
but, you know, it's like I'm 20,

I want to go live
in the Caribbean

for the next three weeks,
and experience the world.

It maybe a little selfish,

but sometimes you need to be
a little selfish in life.

To be honest, the reason
why I'm leaving

is that I broke my sandal.

That was the sign for me,
and just mental premonitions,

where I was at in my head,
everything going on internally,

that's what did it for me.

It just clicked.

I literally
haven't told anybody.

- We found it here.
- Deep fry it!

- Someone pass me a plate.
- Wow, that looks crispy and nice.

-Do it!

I'm alone here at Kalu Yala.

You have all these loving,
caring people. It's bittersweet.

**

Cahill: I just feel like
I've grown here so much,

but I'm ready to grow more,

and I have to grow
on my own path.

I have to find my own way
out into the world.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

- Where's Cahill at?
- He walked out.

What time was it?
Early.

Melanie: So, Shane and I didn't
get to say goodbye to him.

He got out without
really anyone knowing.

I don't think anybody
saw him leave.

No, man, but, you know, that way
you know and then you --

He had a time to think for
himself yesterday and decided,

and I think it's good that
he stuck to his guns with that.

At the end of the day, everyone
is following their own path.

I'm sad, yeah.
Yeah.

I liked Cahill
and his good vibes.

**

Dah, dah, dah.
We've got a couple of interns

who are leaving the program.

Cahill is one of them, and then
two others I don't know.

I'm interested to see about

how far along
their personal projects are.

I think that there's
probably a correlation

between people who leave
and people

who didn't have much to show
for their time here,

I would guess.
[ Laughs ]

I don't have the data yet,

but that's the thesis
that I'm thinking about.

Yeah, me, too.

[ Man speaking indistinctly ]

Nothing like working
the bonnie air.

A lot of people have had
some really strong doubts,

and for -- I don't know.
For me, this is my new heaven.

This is where I know
I'm supposed to be right now.

So, our tilapia pond,

we're going to feed
the humans the fish,

and then we'll be taking
the refuse

from the humans and feeding
that back to the farm.

So, it should be a good
closed-loop system.

Get it really close to one side.

It's cylindrical.

Woman: It is what I want to do,
like, for the rest of my life.

This is really me
starting to get into that.

I mean, it's why I'm here
at the end of the day,

so I'm just pumped
to be doing it. [ Chuckles ]

Trying to sort our food
from the local environment.

Yeah.

Brrrr! Brrrr!
We gonna have some fishies!

Jon: I mean, aquaculture can be
a very efficient system.

It will water the farm.

It will also add
more nutrients to the farm,

and come store it
during the dry season.

And then that way we can
actually grow more things.

We've got one with tilapia
in it already.

I'm going to turn that
into a breeder pond.

Hey, and you're
supposed to hold it --

The reel is supposed to be down.

It'll work out.

**

Here. Just wait for the big one
on the bottom.

There'll be a big one.

Simon: I've always been, like,
a big outdoorsman.

Catching tilapia.

I went to Montana State
because I was a fly fisherman.

I'm a huge conservationist,
extreme conservation,

basically just keeping
the fish alive

so other people
can catch the fish.

Your boy's got the game,
and Simon is the name.

There we go! There he is!
There he is!

- There's the big guy!
- There's the big guy!

- Awesome! -That's awesome!
- That's a male --

All: No!

Simon:
Grab it! Grab it! Grab it!

Grab it! No! Fuck!

I think that school in general
is fantasy land.

This place is a lot better
education system than America's.

You got to be
a fucking man sometimes

and jump in the puddle.

Everyone is a product
of their environment,

and my environment, I feel,
is a lot different

than most of everyone's here.

**

I've always been around
a very conservative community.

A lot of people go to church.

There's this one church
that we go to that's really big,

and it's really awesome,
and our pastor preaches to you,

and it's very inspiring.

I have a lot of guns,
and I shoot a lot of guns.

Fun gun. That one's fun.
- Oh, yeah.

Me and my dad are actually
members of this gun club.

You have to be an NRA member.

And we'll just go shooting
or whatever.

I like them.
I like my constitutional rights,

and I like America.

I've really never even traveled
out of the country by myself.

Cheers, mate.
I didn't think I was going

to build as close
of relationships

with a lot of the people
that I have here.

We don't have
the same backgrounds,

and we're from different places,

and they have different
political views,

and they have different
religious views and stuff,

different spirituality like I've
never been around in my life,

but I think here, we're all
very accepting of each other.

- Hey! Hey!
- What's up, ladies?

It's weird coming together

and talking to people
about that,

because even though I may
not convince them of my views,

they may not convince me
of their views,

the intention
of our conversations

is just to, like,
educate each other,

and share interesting stuff

about both sides
of the spectrum,

and it's very healthy for me.

I think that's part
of the reason

that has helped me
grow so much here,

just being around
different people.

I drank the Kool-Aid.

[ Chuckles ]
Joined the hippie commune.

- Simon!
- What?

These are great sunglasses.

We've also got snacks!

**

They're going to run out quick!

Cahill:
The hashtag was WeAreBuilding.

I expected to go down
there and build.

Jake: If this place becomes
something beautiful,

I think Jimmy should
take minimal credit.

You get over all that bullshit

**

6:15.

You know,
eventually at Kalu Yala,

you get over all that bullshit

about, like, everything needing
to be organic.

Hey. Hey.
Oh, he wants to go for a walk.

The idea, design,
and particularly,

leading groups
in design efforts,

and then teaching and learning

and seeing where
people's passions are,

this is what I started
Kalu Yala for.

It's just the best work
I get the chance to do,

to talk and teach urbanism
with kids

who are passionate about
community and the environment.

Vamo.

Today we're going to take
the refined master plan

that Ricardo
and Tony put together,

and we're going
to develop it, test it,

see what comes out of our soup.

Now that we have a plan,
we can debate the plan.

Now, next year, in 2017,
we've got to be ready

to handle 150 students
at the end of May

along with 50 staff
and 100 guests.

Not just getting more housing,

but getting more
bathroom facilities,

more cooking
and kitchen facilities,

more breakout spaces
for head space.

And so here...
and here.

So, these are buildings, right?

So, how does this --
How does this change?

We build, what, dorms first?

Like, these five all
right next to each other,

or should we build one,
two, three, four?

Jake: Obviously, some people
don't want a garden.

The idea is to only use
native plants, only use plants

that will grown naturally
so when you plant them,

maybe, you know,
tie them to a stick

when they're really young,
whatever,

but then
you can just leave them.

Jake: Kalu Yala is going to be
a city inside a garden,

not a garden inside of a city.

It's going to be
invisible from above,

because there's going to be
a lush canopy of food

growing all over this town,

and if it doesn't do that,
then it's bullshit,

because that's the only way
to make this place great.

[ Indistinct conversations ]
There's a piece of the puzzle

that's missing that
is made up by interns,

and I think Jimmy knows that,
and I think it's very good

that he continues to want

young, educated, ecological
people to keep coming here.

I think that's the only thing
that's going to save this town,

and if that stops,
then this whole thing is... gone.

If you had a hundred acre --

They found it was
one unit per acre,

you automatically
get a hundred credits.

Now, what you could do then
is you could sell your credits

to somebody else, which
took away your taxable value,

which created preservation. Yeah.
Yeah. [ Speaks indistinctly ]

Exactly.

But, we do want to develop
every piece of land.

I really hope this place
becomes something beautiful,

and if it does,

I think Jimmy should
take minimal credit.

Jimmy:
Thank you guys for today.

You figured out how to engage
in taking your intellectual

thought out of your head
and putting it onto paper

to where other people
can start to visualize that.

There is legacy of your thought
here for people to consider.

This was, like,
the most heads-down day

I've actually ever seen
from any program at Kalu Yala

of people just being, like,
in their work.

A round of applause to you all.

Thank you for working
your butts off

and for getting us here, okay?
[ Applause ]

Cool? [ Laughs ]

**

We're playing a game.
We need two teams.

We're ready.

...that the other team
will complete.

Human pyramid?
[ Indistinct conversations ]

Man:
Somebody has to eat a bug.

[ All shouting ]

No!

Fuck, yeah!
[ Cheers and applause ]

Hey.

- Shave your head. -Shave your head.
- Shave your head?

[ Laughter ]

Whoa!

[ Cheers and applause ]

Woman:
What's next? Piggy-back?

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, go!

Aah! Whoo!

- It's a tie! -That's a tie.
- Tie. -Close. Close.

**

Cahill: I ended up
at Hostel Mamallena's,

in the middle of Bocas Del Toro.

I physically put all the burdens

that I had brought with me
onto my own back,

and walked out
with my own two legs.

And pretty much
ended up in paradise.

So, basically I just do odd jobs
around the hostel,

whenever they want me to,

and then I get
a free bed to stay.

So, it's not the worst deal
in the world.

It's a little memory box.

Little notes that mean
a lot to me,

so that whenever I get depressed
or homesick, I read them.

And just knowing
that people love

and care about you
is super powerful,

especially when you're
traveling alone.

"Cahill, thank you
for turning everything

into a positive statement.

You're positivity is inspiring,

and you've made my day
more than once.

Keep doing you."

A bunch of memories
inside of a memory,

which is badass.

[ Beeping ]

Woman: Hello!
Hey, Ma.

How are you sweetie?
Fucking amazing.

Don't cuss in front of your mother!
Sorry.

I just wanted to let you know
you raised -- I am good.

You don't need to worry.

Okay, just tell me
where you are on the planet.

I will definitely let you know
where I'm at.

All right, I love you!
All right, love you, Ma!

Give Dad my love.
Okay.

I'm alone.
When you're at Kalu Yala,

you have all these
loving people,

and I know that they love
for me, and care for me still.

That's bittersweet,
but it's bitter, too.

By the time I left, I expected
to build my own house.

The hashtag was WeAreBuilding.

I expected to go down there
and build.

I would sleep at night so happy

if that becomes everything
that was promised,

because that place will exist,
that beauty will be real.

From the bottom of my heart, I
hope that Jimmy proves me wrong.

I really do.

[ Voice breaking ]
They're just my family.

You're attitude
is sick everyday.

Can you imagine
what that looks like to me?

Happy to be leaving
the organization.

Until you can prove that you can
act like an adult -- [ Door slams ]

Man: I'm really impressed with
the costumes, except for mine.

This is just what
I wear everyday.

- Trying to watch the election.
- What happened?

- Trump's our president.
- Fuck off.

If we go back, and we engage
with those who agree with us,

we are doing nothing.

You really can't cross
a river like this.

No!
People have died right here!