The Americans | Episode 5: Dottie & Chaz | Robin de Puy

Robin de Puy, de Volkskrant, December 6, 2022

America is a country of great ambitions but even greater divisions. Reason enough for photographer and filmmaker Robin de Puy to look for 'the American'. Who is that? Who represents this country? Episode 1: Nick and Zorka's Dreams.

Caddo Lake is as smooth as a mirror’s surface and filled with large yellow flowers proudly reaching for the sun. “When the flower has finished blooming, the fruit remains, '' says Chaz (38), born and raised in Uncertain, a small village bordering the lake. He picks up a ripe piece of fruit: “Here, have you ever tasted this?” Without hesitation, I bite into the sweet seeds of the American lotus. 

 

Uncertain is on the border of Texas and Louisiana. It has 85 inhabitants and is buried deep in swampland. Large moss-covered cypress trees give the village a somewhat ghostly appearance. The town is perfect for anyone who does not want to be found. People take care of their own business here and help from outsiders is not welcomed. 

 

“The lake raised me. I am a real swamp-rat.” Chaz's beard blows gently in the wind. “We have everything we need here: water, food, and medicine. Life doesn't come from a store. It starts in nature.” It sounds like paradise, and I would rather not leave.

 

When I ask Chaz who I should definitely meet here, he immediately replies, “Dottie! She used to be my teacher and she's the SuperWoman from Uncertain.”

 

Before long, I found her. Dottie is 83 years old and still likes to ride her Harley Davidson, sometimes with a cape - she is SuperWoman, after all. She clearly loves life as well as her raccoon, Willow, who is always perched on her neck or in her lap.

 

Dottie owns a lot of land, including a small graveyard. “Always wanted one.” It came in handy when her husband Billy passed away last year. Wrapped up with cloth, he was six feet under within twelve hours. He thought he was dying of an infection because he had given a baby raccoon mouth-to-mouth, but Dottie disagrees.

“The average age of an Uncertainer is only 58. Fresh vegetables are hard to find here. And almost all of the food is deep-fried. Combined with frequent use of alcohol and cigarettes, it doesn't appear to be the best way to grow old. And then there's something about mercury in the water.” - Dottie

Mouths full of American lotus seeds and acclaimed scenery, yet it’s less like paradise after all. As it turns out: nothing is certain in Uncertain.