Arica

Synopsis

Toxic Colonialism – the export of waste material from rich to poor countries – is on trial.

A Swedish Mining company exports 20,000 tonnes of toxic waste to the Chilean desert town of Arica. Thousands of people become sick, many die from cancer.

ARICA plunges us into the groundbreaking corporate accountability trial which begins after Lars Edman – born in Chile, and raised in Boliden – exposes the scandal.

Alongside his co-director William Johansson, Lars follows the story for 15 years, exposing how decisions made decades ago in Europe continue to affect people in South America.

Part personal journey, part courtroom drama, Arica is the story of an afflicted community fighting for justice against a multinational company desperate to clear their name.

Festivals & Awards

IDFA 2020

Best Human Rights Film at Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Budapest, Hungary
Best Documentary Award at Nordische Filmtage in Lübeck, Germany
Fethi Kayaalp Grand Prize at BIFED, Turkey
Premio Antropolgia ambiental at CineEco Seia, Portugal
Honourable mention from the youth jury at CineEco Seia, Portugal
Reporters Sans Frontieres Award for Human Rights at FIGRA, France
Special Mention at Docville Film Festival, Belgium
International Competition Second Prize  at FINCA, Argentina
Honorable mention, International competition – Solidarity, Tel Aviv Human Rights films Festival (2021) – Tel Aviv, Israel
The International Green Film Award Nominee 2021 – Cinema for Peace Foundation

Credits

Directors
Lars Edman & William Johansson

Producer
Andreas Rocksén, Laika Film & Television

Co-producers
Hanne Phlypo
José Miguel Garrido Valdés
Andy Jones
Ellie Smith
Karl-Emil Rikardsen
Knut Skoglund
Anna Svensson
Matti Kentrschynskyj
Katja Härkönen
Isabelle Christiaens

Partners

Lightdox

RTBF

CANVAS

Shelter Prod

Relation04 Media AS

Radio Film LtD

Aricadoc

Swedish Film Institute

Swedish Postcode Lottery

SVT

Swedish Arts Grant

Creative Europe

Film i Västerbotten

Filmpool Nord

Filmbasen

Konstnärsnämnden

Nordnorsk Filmsenter

Bertha Fund

Solberga Foundation

IUCN