Educational Media Reviews Online

The one night in Bhopal is December 2, 1984. On that night the world’s most devastating industrial disaster claimed the lives of thousands of people and exposed thousands more to the poisonous gas methyl isocyanate (MIC). The Union Carbide Corporation used MIC to produce the pesticide Sevin which was stored in its plant in Bhopal. Those who came in contact with the gas that night experienced watering of the eyes, throat irritation and difficulty in breathing. People living near the plant tried to escape but many, especially the elderly and young, were unable to withstand the effects and died mostly from pulmonary edema. The devastation caused by the disaster is still felt twenty years later in the lives of the survivors who suffer serious long-term health effects and despair from lack of compensation and support from either Union Carbide or the Indian government. Why did this disaster happen? Why wasn’t there a disaster plan or evacuation plan for the city in case of such an emergency? Who is responsible for the disaster? Who can the survivors look to for information? Compensation? Support?

One Night in Bhopal is a somber and dramatic re-enactment of that fateful night. It traces the lives of several survivors: a doctor who worked at the plant but quit after she couldn’t get plant administrators to address safety issues after an earlier accident; a night worker at the plant in charge of monitoring the system; a young boy who lived in the shadow of the plant and lost his family; and the police chief who tried in vain to soothe things over. Broadcast by BBC to mark the twentieth anniversary of the disaster the film evokes a heartfelt terror of what can happen if industry does not take precautions to protect its workers and its neighbors. Union Carbide began its project in Bhopal on a high note bringing economic gains to the area. But when business began to lag it appears to have become lax in its responsibilities to the people who initially welcomed them. The story points out that Union Carbide and the Indian government have yet to provide accountability to the survivors. Compensation has been inadequate and it has taken too long for the information to get to those who need it. What this film does is raise the questions about the responsibility of the government and the company, then and now. This film definitely has captured the agony and horror of that night. Its graphic depictions of dying victims and the use of close-ups of agonizing faces bring the viewer almost to a sense of presence. After viewing this program the viewer will want to know more about what is currently happening in Bhopal.

A follow-up to One Night in Bhopal is the National Film Board of Canada production Bhopal: The Search for Justice.

A local journalist, Rajkumar Keswani wrote an article in June 1984 that warned about possible risks to the people, animals and land posed by the chemical plant located in Bhopal. He was aware of the earlier scares at the plant and was especially anxious about the death of a Union Carbide worker as a result of an earlier leak. Unfortunately his predictions were not taken seriously and no inspections or changes were made. The night of December 2, 1984 was a disaster that might have been avoided or at least contained if safety systems had been up to par. As it turned out the systems in place failed miserably. Water leaked into the tank, the alarm system was turned off by plant managers so as not to panic the city and the fire tower was not operating. Steps that could have been taken to minimize a disaster were not carried out. Keswani stands out in this film as a leader in the quest of survivors trying to find out what actually happened and how they can get more relief for themselves and their families. The film takes us through that fateful night and then carries us forward to the laboratories of geneticists who demonstrate how the effects of the poison gas were affected. These graphic displays are frightening. Many questions are posed about the responsibilities of the company and the government. We see Warren Anderson, the CEO of Union Carbide being arrested upon his arrival in Bhopal but then whisked back to the States where years of litigation result in a 1988 settlement with the Government of India. By 1990 the number of victims is officially held at 3828 deaths while actually more than 20,000 deaths resulted from the leak and numbers topping 150,000 have suffered as a result of long-term health effects.

Notwithstanding some of the efforts of Union Carbide and the Government of India justice has not been served. Keswani and the survivors present a thorough and heart wrenching tale of mismanagement at all levels. They are seeking not only personal compensation but environmental cleanup of their polluted waters and soil in the affected areas and a trial for Warren Anderson and Union Carbide.

Both these films raise the question of the need for government controls and intervention, particularly in underdeveloped nations, in maintaining safe operations of hazardous industries. If the plant had been located in a more remote area far away from the city damage would have been much less and human and animal life would have been spared. Evacuation plans, emergency response plans, local laws and regulations are needed to stop the double standard of international companies. Each of these productions are worthy of consideration. One Night in Bhopal is most compelling in its telling and could be viewed first to gain a graphic understanding of the disaster. Bhopal: the Search for Justice helps the viewer understand the residual effects of the disaster and the efforts that are being made to bring justice to the survivors and to bring awareness to future generations.