RT
People fear them. They are outcasts, treated with contempt. They are
frequently beaten and murdered simply because they are not like other
people. Their skin is a different colour.
This is not a film about the African-American civil rights movement in
the mid-20th century. These twenty six minutes tell the story of those
with the misfortune to be born an albino in Africa today.
In Tanzania, on the East coast of the continent, the number of people
born with a total absence of the skin pigment melanin is 8 times higher
than the global average. To date, there is no definitive scientific
explanation for this anomaly.
In the Tanzanian countryside, albinos are the subject of a wide range
of superstitions. Many believe that white-skinned Africans bring bad
luck and that they are immortal. It is also thought that their bones can
be used to cure diseases or as charms to bring wealth. In Swahili
albinos are called “zeruzeru” meaning “ghosts”. Because of these
beliefs, people born with melanin abnormalities are forced to live in
constant fear.
This film tells the story of Josephat Torner, an activist for the
Tanzania Albinism Society. He has overcome his fears and dedicated his
life to campaigning against the discrimination of white Africans. He
travels from Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, to Lake Victoria in
the north of the country. This is where Torner himself was born and is
where the majority of Tanzanian albino communities are located. It is a
journey in which he is forced to confront his fears once again.
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