Canadian Director Jean-Francois Mean goes to Tanzania to follow a journalist investigating murderous attacks against people with albinism. Tanzania has one of the highest rates of albinism in the world and, as in many other African countries, people with albinism are considered to be cursed. Not only are they discriminated against by their communities and often, their own families, they are also murdered and butchered for their body parts, which are believed to bring good luck. A powerful and secretive group of traditional healers, enabled by families and communities of people living with albinism, control this trade. Their victims are almost always children.
The documentary depicts the struggle of a handful of children living with albinism, to survive their childhoods in Tanzania, with profound and sometimes fatal discrimination.
Recently, there has been an upsurge of attacks and abductions of people with albinism in Malawi and, in Tanzania, the attacks continue. To date, there have been reports of albino killings in over 25 African countries yet there is very little justice for the victims.
Watch “White & Black: Crimes of Colour”, directed by Jean Francois Mean. Part one of two parts to be broadcast on Special Assignment – on Sunday the 5th of April, on SABC 3 at 20:30PM. Repeated Mondays at 23:30PM.
