Saturday 23 July 2011

After the Apocalypse


Here is the synopsis:
During the Soviet era, the people of Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan were used as human guinea pigs in the testing of nuclear weapons. Today they live with the consequences. Whilst sheep graze in radioactive bomb craters, many in the population believe that the testing is the reason why one in twenty children are born with birth defects. Dr Toleukhan Nurmagambetov, the boss of the city's maternity clinic, wants to introduce a genetic passport which will prevent those with suspect genes from giving birth.

Bibigul -- a local woman from the test-site -- is pregnant and her "defected and frightful" face arouses the suspicion of local medical staff. Nurmagambetov labels her a genetic failure. He implores Bibigul to get tested and abort the child who he fears will be born disabled, but Bibigul refuses to give up her dream of becoming a mother

This superberb documentary is now available to watch in youtube thanks to 4oD

It raises many questions: The Ethics of war and how the country treats its on citizens; the effects of weapons of mass destructions; the effects of nuclear armaments; medical ethics: the right to be born, the right of maternity; genetic discrimination & eugenics and the classical moral & ethical dylemmas: free choice or predetermination? Quality of life or sanctity of life?

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