As visually mesmerizing as it is compelling, Shipbreakers takes the viewer into the heart of Alang, India, a vibrant shantytown where 40,000 people live and work in the most primitive conditions. Since the early '80s, the rusting hulks of thousands of the world's largest ships have been driven onto the remote beaches of Alang, off the Arabian Sea, to be dismantled, piece by piece. Sold for scrap, the ship owners rarely bother to abide by the UN Basel Convention, which bans shipments of transboundary waste. One worker a day, on average, dies on the job, some from explosions or falls, but many will contract cancers caused by asbestos, PCBs and other toxic substances. Shipbreakers vividly captures both the haunting beauty of the ships and the deplorable conditions of the workers--in an unforgettable portrayal where Third World ingenuity meets 21st century global economics.
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Citation
Main credits
Kot, Michael (film director)
Kot, Michael (film producer)
Barreveld, Ed (film producer)
Starr, Peter (film producer)
Biggs, Ted (narrator)
Other credits
Editor, Deborah Palloway; director of photography, Derek Rogers; music composer, Ken Myhr.
Developing Countries - Economic and Industrial Development, Developing Countries - Environment and Conservation, Developing Countries - India, Nepal and Pakistan, Developing Countries - Working Life, Environment and Conservation - Developing Countries, Environment and Conservation - Oceans, Seas and Estuaries, Environment and Conservation - Pollution, Transportation - Boating and Shipping, Work and Labour Relations - Working Conditions, Documentary
Keywords
Developing Countries - Economic and Industrial Development, Developing Countries - Environment and Conservation, Developing Countries - India, Nepal and Pakistan, Developing Countries - Working Life, Environment and Conservation - Developing Countries, Environment and Conservation - Oceans, Seas and Estuaries, Environment and Conservation - Pollution, Transportation - Boating and Shipping, Work and Labour Relations - Working Conditions, Documentary; "Shipbreakers"; National Film Board of Canada
Distributor: National Film Board of Canada
Length: 73 minutes
Date: 2005
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Closed Captioning: Available
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