The Burning Field 2018
Distributed by Collective Eye Films, 1315 SE 20th Ave. #3, Portland OR 97214; 971-236-2056
Produced by Anita Afou
Directed by Justin Weinrich
Streaming, 75 mins
General Adult
Child neglect; Environmentalism; Recycling
Date Entered: 01/04/2021
Reviewed by Patti McCall-Wright, Systematic Review Librarian, University of FloridaAgbogbloshie, a town in Ghana, is where the world’s electronic waste goes to die. It is also where children from the north, some as young as seven, leave their parents behind, cut their education short, and go to work, eliminating that e-waste for a mere $1.25 a day. The dangerous work is viewed through the lens of four children working in the waste field, facing daily physical dangers and exploitation but who know no other reality. The landscape is desolate as animals and humans together eke out an existence on a bleak, forgotten wasteland that is polluted with heavy metals such as lead, mercury and aluminum. Much of the waste is burned causing severe illness due to smoke inhalation to those working in the fields and living in the nearby slums. The Burning Field is a quiet film, showing how e-waste is conveniently forgotten and sent away without a thought. Would the world do anything differently if it knew the truth?
Awards:
Asja.energy Award for Best International Documentary; Best Environmental Film, Docs Without Borders 2019; “Best Feature Documentary,” 2020 Eugene Environmental Film Festival
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