Zhanana Kurmasheva’s directorial debut, WE LIVE HERE, explores the impact of the Soviet Union testing nuclear weapons at Semipalatinsk (also known as the Polygon) in rural Kazakhstan from 1949 to 1991, how the local communities are still affected by the aftermath of these 456 tests, and the political injustice they continue to experience from their government.
By following the Baltabek family, the documentary shows the devastating effects across three generations. Much focus is given to the grandfather, Bolatbek, who grew up 30km away from the testing site and is now writing a memoir about his experiences to raise awareness of the events and remember the lives lost to radiation exposure over the past 75 years.
“By following the Baltabek family, the documentary shows the devastating effects [of nuclear testing] across three generations.”
Originally wanting to highlight the environmental concerns stemming from the nuclear testing, Kurmasheva brings into focus how there is very little provision in place to support the local communities in accessing adequate healthcare, which is linked to radiation exposure. The radiation levels are carefully monitored by environmentalist teams, who analyse the radiation compounds of the soil to determine safe grazing land for the villagers’ herds. If grazed on radioactive lands, the cattle and herds will pass any related illnesses onto the community. This, however, does not offer any solace for Bolatbek’s granddaughter, who has been diagnosed with a rare and life-limiting condition (aplastic anaemia), which the local medical boards do not acknowledge due to a lack of research and trials.
Kurmasheva’s opening scenes give a bird’s eye view of the abandoned test site, which reveals the magnitude of damage caused by missiles. She depicts a barren steppe with deteriorating military buildings and very little natural wildlife to account for. These scenes also expose the lack of secure borders around the site. As the documentary later addresses, the government has shown very little concern for the safety of the local community, who have not been offered relocation aid or compensation.
“…Akmaral Mergen’s subtle and eerie musical compositions [create] a sense of disruption for the audience that attempts to replicate the turbulent circumstances experienced by the local communities.”
The documentary is interspersed with scenes of home videos from the Baltabek family, real footage of the nuclear explosions, and the subsequent political rallies in the late 1980s in which the citizens of Kazakhstan fought to stop Soviet nuclear testing in their country. These scenes, underscored by Akmaral Mergen’s subtle and eerie musical compositions, creates a sense of disruption for the audience that attempts to replicate the turbulent circumstances experienced by the local communities.
WE LIVE HERE is a hard-hitting debut that questions the future of warfare and military action on a global scale, as well as presenting the catastrophic impact of nuclear weapons and radiation exposure. The film is a clear warning of the irreversible dangers that these weapons carry, and how other countries should be inspired to follow in Kazakhstan’s footsteps in banning all nuclear weapons from military and defence operations.