Eloy Antonio is responsible for organizing the first Festival of uranium held in Porto at the Casa da Horta. An event organized by the social activist, consultant to clean energy, teacher and writer, who aims to promote awareness of people about the dangers of nuclear energy and debate other issues related to the films on display.
What is the importance of this festival at a national level?
Antonio Eloy: This festival comes as an extension which was held in Rio de Janeiro. That shows the most important films that have passed in this event. I have received by coordination of the festival by the Brazilian organizers when they passed through Portugal, during filming an uranium mining in Nisa and had some contacts with the area Urgeiriça. I gave them an explanation of my social and professional activity in this area and explained to them the problem of a future hypothetical mining of Nisa, the difficulties that already exist in terms of recovery of mined areas, social and health public problems for the workers and populations in the whole area of Cova da Beira. It was a great conversation, we were in contact and they challenged me to organize this extension of the festival in Oporto. We are thinking about transposing this event, in January to the city of Lisbon. We also have the availability of local authorities to show the film in other parts of the country, though these films are focused on production, also focus on the problems surrounding the uranium cycle, energy production in power plants, the use of its waste to the manufacture of bombs and depleted uranium weapons of mass destruction is addressed in films with high quality.
Why did you decide to bring this event here, do you think we don't give the due importance to the nuclear issue in our country?
AE: In Portugal we have several problems with the cycle of uranium mining in the Cova da Beira causing serious damage and still have environmental effects on population and workers health. There is the possibility of opening a new deposit in the district of Nice, which faces strong public opposition and analysis show a very negative environmental impact. This festival can be passed in these areas and help create a movement of public opinion, help restore devastated areas and prevent new areas to be destroyed. In Portugal, and has been discussed, we have people who advocate the installation of nuclear plants. Finally, we have the central problem of Spain who are here very near of us as the case of the central of Almaraz, the closure of plants in the area of Andalusia, had the threat of creating a radioactive cemetery near the Portuguese border and we proceeded in the past to the closure of Atlantic sea trenches which worried us a lot, although this problem has been removed.
The program did not show any movies about the issue of uranium in Portugal, this is because they want to show it in January?
AE: We guaranteed the world premiere of a film about the area of Nisa, conducted by Marcia Gomes and Norbert Shuchanek which addresses these specific issues of the hypothetical mining in the area. As part of this festival was to develop some contacts, we particularly approach a group of young people who have made a film about the mines and Borralha that were interested in filming on the Cova da Beira with two alternative approaches. This project is being studied and it is clear that in the future the documentary will be shown, not in January, because there is no chance to do in such a short time, but will be show in it in the extension of the festival that we will do later in the year 2012, early 2013.
What are the movies that you can highlight in this festival?
AE: Yesterday, I saw a movie about the tremendous impact of the bombs in war scenarios, which also affect the Portuguese and the troops of various nationalities who have been exposed to radiation from depleted uranium bombs, like in Bosnia, the Balkans and Iraq. We saw an amazing story of former U.S. soldiers who denounced these situations. Another of the documentaries contained in the program aims the "train beaver", the transfer of highly radioactive waste to Germany, where they are deposited in a saline disabled mine of Gorlenben for thousands of years. We watched the opposition from local people who demonstrate to be very committed and made aware on this matter. A world premiere at this festival is the documentary about the mines Caetité. It is an open-pit mining, which has caused a devastating impact on the environment and public health. Another of the stories we'll cover is mining in the U.S. and the destruction of Native American lands. We will continue to have discussions focused on various themes, to refer to conservation and energy efficiency all related to the cycle of uranium production and processing of this raw material into energy.
Elations of the debates?
AE: The debate was mostly very civilized. It was a very frank and very open when we had the opportunity to hear the two positions, of course, the films induce a certain way, however we are keen to hear people with other opinions. The engineer Pedro Sampaio Nunes, who is one of the promoters of nuclear power plants had some fear, because sometimes the discussion it has been disputed with some vehemence and violence. However, it can be expressed in an open way. Different views were expressed by most people. But most importantly, for us social activists, especially those who are committed to sustainability and the environment, is to know the various points of view, because we cannot object in consciousness, and quality criteria without listening to those who are in favor nuclear plants, which in our view are wrong. As a hold the debate was very courteous and we all wan with this exchange of ideas, also to understand what are the weaknesses of the arguments in favor of nuclear energy and the same is true for our views.
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