Blame Game

         

As more and more of us use and replace electronic devices, manufacturers have failed to offer solutions for how to deal with the resulting waste, and much of it is exported to a toxic dump in Ghana where scavengers do their best to salvage what they can. Blame Game investigates the murky world of global electronic waste disposal, where legal grey areas, a lack of investment in recycling, unscrupulous businesses and politicised application of the existing laws lead to wasted opportunities, environmental degradation and for the people of Agbogbloshie - hellish living conditions in a toxic dumping ground.

     

Taking us deep inside this hidden world we meet those who suffer from our addiction to new devices, working in hazardous conditions and prone to cancers and other illnesses from an early age. But without the dump, thousands would be without jobs, tonnes of e-waste would not be recycled and Ghanaians would miss out on life-altering technology. A global web of policy makers and businesses are out of synch, each blaming the other and in the resulting chaos and passing of responsibility, huge opportunities are being missed.

      

Beautifully shot and taking a global perspective, Blame Game explores the challenges but also the possible solutions - some very simple - that could reduce waste, take advantage of an impressive skill-set, alleviate poverty and help our environment.

          

 

 

Juan has been working in documentary distribution and production for over seven years and he is part of the Sideways Film team for the past three years. He has represented Sundance Films like Private Violence or Cobain: Montage of Heck or the latest documentary by Werner Herzog Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin. In the production side, he produced and directed an award-winning documentary on e-waste called Blame Game which sold to over ten broadcasters/platforms internationally.