A SLOW AND MOTIONLESS DEATH (Albania, 2005)
In the communist era the Albanian region of Porto Romano was an important centre for the chemical industry. The chief products were leather, petrol, metals and pesticides. Since then the industry has almost disappeared, leaving behind 20,000 tons of chemical waste. The drinking water, vegetables and milk that are consumed daily by the 15,000 Albanians who live in Porto Romano are all seriously contaminated. Rather than move to a poorer region, however, they choose to risk damage to their health. ‘Here we can at least make a living,’ says a fifty-year-old shepherd. ‘What else can we do?’ In the meantime, leukaemia and lung and skin illnesses have become commonplace. Far from evacuating the area, the government on the contrary is encouraging migration by building new houses there. There is also discussion about reopening the chemical plants.
