BBC Documentaries

Born Too White (2017x28)

Air date: Feb 23, 2017

Documentary uncovering the discrimination and persecution of people with albinism in Tanzania and Malawi in East Africa. NHS doctor Oscar Duke, who himself has albinism, embarks on a personal journey to discover what life is like for people who share his condition in these countries. In Tanzania, home to among the highest proportion of people living with albinism in the world, people with albinism are vulnerable not only to bigotry, but also mutilation and murder. Oscar himself struggled with the visual impairment albinism causes but feels he has never really suffered from serious discrimination. In contrast, the stigma that surrounds people with albinism has been greatly ingrained within some African societies for many generations. In the last ten years alone, there have been a staggering 170 attacks in Tanzania, 70 of which were fatal. This film explores why these terrible crimes are taking place and Oscar challenges the people responsible.