Acclaimed ‘Arica’ documentary prompts intervention from United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
UN letters include harsh criticism of Swedish government and Boliden mining company Over 30 years after Swedish mining company Boliden shipped almost 20,000 tonnes of toxic mining waste to the Chilean city of Arica, a group of United Nations Special Rapporteurs have made allegations of serious ongoing human rights abuses, exposed in the ARICA documentary, which continues it’s festival run with screenings in Spain, Czech Republic, Italy and Belgium in the coming weeks. Exposure to the waste led to numerous cases of cancer, birth defects and serious diseases, with the Chilean government estimating that around 12,000 people were exposed to the toxins.
Praise for ARICA in Swedish press
”The lead children strikes back” ”Political dynamite” "The rich world vs. the poor” ”Powerful and moving court drama” Swedish press is overwhelmingly praising Arica upon its premiere in Sweden.
Swedish Radio review gives Arica 4/5
"Efficient storytelling, both moving and courtroom-thrilling. A worthy and well done documentary film." (In Swedish) https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/arica-storbolaget-mot-de-fattiga
ARICA in competition at Human International Documentary Film Festival
NORWEGIAN PREMIERE ARICA will have its Norwegian Premiere at HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival. The film, with Karl Emil Rikardsen at Relation04 Media as the Norwegian co-producer, will be in International Competition. HUMAN International Documentary Festival is Oslo’s largest documentary film festival presenting the newest Norwegian and International documentaries in combination with debates, talks, seminars and workshops, art exhibitions, theatre plays and more. The festival consists of two competition programs, and a manifold film program tuned in on human rights and other social issues. https://humanfilm.no/
Professor Jonas Ebbesson urges Swedish gov to return Boliden’s waste to Sweden
Professor Jonas Ebbesson, member of the Arica Victims’ legal team in the trial vs Boliden Mineral, writes an Opinion Editorial in Dagens Nyheter, the most significant newspaper in Sweden. Referring to international law, Ebbesson says Sweden has an obligation to involve to resolve the situation. The article is in Swedish and behind a paywall, but will soon be available in English and Spanish. https://www.dn.se/debatt/regeringen-duckar-for-sitt-ansvar-for-giftskandalen-i-chile/
Dutch environmental magazine picks ARICA as IDFA ’Top 5’
”A David and Goliath story” (Translated from Dutch) "In the 1980s, at the time of Pinochet, the Swedish mining company Boliden has toxic industrial waste shipped to the Chilean city of Arica, where it is meant to be processed. However, that did not happen: the waste was left unprotected on a site near a poor neighborhood for years. The film Toxic Playground showed already in 2009 how this led to serious health problems for local residents, such as cancer and birth defects. Partly because of this film, a Swedish lawyer team decides to sue the company on behalf of a large
ARICA in both Scandinavian and Chilean IDFA line-ups
At this year’s IDFA, ARICA will be the only Scandinavian film to premiere. Naturally promoted by Scandinavian Films at the festival. Also Chiledoc is promoting the film among it’s six films and projects selected, among them San Sebastian award winning ’The Mole Agent’ (El agente topo). Chilean documentaries take IDFA 2020 RADIOGRAPH OF A FAMILY
ARICA part of Chilean ’wave’ at IDFA
There are no less than five Chilean films in the IDFA line-up 2020. Add to that the ARICA-premiere, with AricaDoc as a co-producer. - 'We are proud to be mentioned in this context. Chile stands very strong on the international scene, with ”The Agent Mole” as one of the strongest documentaries presented this year', says ARICA’s Swedish producer Andreas Rocksén. Read the article in Variety:https://variety.com/2020/film/global/chilean-documentaries-dok-leipzig-idfa-1234830225/
The film maker: “I believe Boliden does this to intimidate others”
Documentary maker William Johansson Kalén is upset about Bolidens complaints against the lawyers of Arica Victims. The documentary Arica recently premiered and the film deals with the lawsuit following Bolidens dumping of arsenic dust in the Chilean town Arica in the 1980’s. One of the filmmakers, William Johansson Kalén, claims Boliden has gone after the lawyers of the Arica-side and that this could have major consequences. – You don’t come across these kinds of cases very often and it’s an incredible sacrifice the lawyers make by taking them on the terms that if win, they get paid and otherwise they get nothing. It
Boliden threatens Arica lawyers with individual lawsuits
This week, the film about the victims of the toxic waste scandal in Chilean Arica premiered in Amsterdam. At the same time, Boliden sent a letter to the Arica lawyers stating that the Swedish lawyers themselves may be sued for the legal costs of more than 40 million Swedish crowns. It is through the documentary that SVT initially received the information that Boliden had threatened to sue the Arica side's lawyers. - They report that they have not been reimbursed for legal costs, just over 40 million crowns, and that they reserve the right to make claims for damages corresponding to these