We Live Here
Showtimes
At the nuclear test site of Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, nuclear weapons were tested for decades until the activity was finally suspended. Even though the nuclear testing ended, a significant amount of radiation was left behind in the area. The effects of radiation are widespread and persist over time. The best protection from its negative effects is distance and time: the faster a person moves away from its reach, the less time the radiation has to affect their health. But what about the people who remain very close to the source of the radiation?
We Live Here tells the story of ordinary people and families living in the immediate surroundings of the nuclear test site. These people suffer from the physical consequences of the tests. The documentary presents the experience of living next to the test site across three generations. Radiation has an impact on everything: the ground, the food, and the objects handled by the people. Radiation itself cannot be fought against, but residents can seek justice and try to secure their future, as well as that of their families.
The film’s silent way of capturing the surrounding nature and animals alongside the inhabitants invites the viewer to reflect on the disaster caused by human actions. War has a destructive power whose effects can persist for hundreds of years, and history should never repeat itself.
Siiri Paarlahti (translated by Nina Moberg)
