A Place Called Lloyd

The planes are still there and the staff still turns up, but no one leaves the ground anymore. Bolivian airline Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB) went bankrupt back in 2008. Nevertheless, the fleet is still maintained and the administration kept up to date. The employees are so loyal they keep coming to work as if nothing has happened – and as if they were still being paid. With no narrator or main character, A Place Called Lloyd shows how they keep hope alive – the employees have been expecting the operating license to be reinstated for years now. If there’s a film that manages to make absence and a great void palpable, this is it: the stillness and the peaceful sounds of nature have a hypnotic effect. At the same time, this emptiness is full of meaning, pride, history and absurdity. The employees’ loyalty to their Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano is endearing, and simple beauty is found in the deserted hangars and perfectly tidied – but empty – offices.