Programs

Poisoned Lives: Secrets of the Chemical Industry

Alice, Kenton, Bucky, Rachna… these are the hidden victims of the chemical industry. They have all grown up in India or the United States, in towns built around plastic and pesticide companies. These omnipresent corporations fund stadiums, schools and museums and have provided residents with jobs for decades.

In the US, in the late 1960s, they secretly tested Dioxin on prisoners – one of the most carcinogenic products in the world. Throughout the decades that followed, the company released this product into the stream running alongside their Midland factory, in the North of the country.

In West Virginia, they contaminated ground water with C8, one of the components used in Teflon. A molecule believed to be at the root of thyroid problems, high blood cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, arterial hypertension and kidney and testicular cancer. Today, over 3,500 residents and employees suffering from these illnesses are taking the multinational to court.

In Bhopal, India, thousands of young children are heavily disabled due to drinking water polluted with pesticide residue.

The chemical giants have done everything possible to stifle these human tragedies. With the help of scientific studies and confidential documents, the two directors gage the true extent of the contamination, ultimately exposing years of lies and impunity.

All that remains are the testimonies of the victims across the world, those whose lives have been poisoned. They are fighting, with the hope that one day, those responsible will be held accountable for their actions…

PRODUCTION INFO

  • Year: 2016
  • Duration: 52 mins
  • Production: PREMIERES LIGNES
  • Director: ARTHUR BOUVART & JULES GIRAUDAT
  • Available Versions: ENG, FRA
  • Country of production: France

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