Organized by Lambo Films, Storyhouse Films, Abeva and Doughty Street Chambers.
Short description of the session:
The session will be a showing of the film “Breathless” (75 mins), which is a film showing how the asbestos industry moved to take advantages of markets and laws in less developed countries and the struggle of people affected by the industry for redress. It centres on the struggle of victims in Belgium and India, where it takes the director to the largest asbestos waste dump in South Asia. The asbestos story is replicated in many other industries and reflects the difficulties in obtaining remedy in a globalised world.
Session objectives:
To illustrate through the issue of the export of asbestos how corporations have exported the most hazardous and exploitative industries to the less developed world, where people struggle to obtain a remedy, but how through such struggles change can come about. The film is linked to a crowdfunding campaign to fund litigation in India to clean up an asbestos waste dump in Central India (breathlessfund.org), which will hopefully have a wider impact in creating awareness of the hazards of asbestos in India.
Key discussion questions:- What has been the reaction of Eternit to the film?
- What has been the reaction of the people in Kappelle to the film?
- What is the role of the UN is stopping such violations from happening, Rotterdam Convention and the report of hazardous substances in the workplace.
- What is the campaign in India to highlight the hazards of asbestos?
Format:
The film will be 75 mins followed by a discussion and a Q&A till 8pm
