Waiting in Hell's Backyard

A documentary about patients in a tuberculosis hospital in the Russian district of Arkhangelsk. The patients here are suffering from Multi Drug resistant tuberculosis, which could spread to neighbouring countries if not treated properly. Erik Hannemann directed and edited the film, which was produced by Panopticon for The Norwegian Association of Heart and Lung Patients.

Every 15 seconds a person dies from tuberculosis in the world. In Russia 30,000 people die every year. This number has doubled since the Soviet Union collapsed. It is now thought that up to three million Russians are infected with tuberculosis. This is the highest rate in Europe.

Currently, nearly 20 % of all new cases of tuberculosis are infected by multi resistant strains. The highest level of Multi Drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is found in the Northwestern Russian city of Arkhangelsk. Every year approximately 180 new cases of this strain are reported here.

Several hundred people with MDR-TB are hospitalised under extremely difficult conditions in Arkhangelsk. Most of them do not have access to expensive drugs that could save their lives, due to lack of funds.

The Norwegian Association of Heart and Lung Patients (LHL) is seriously concerned about the situation in Arkhangelsk. It warns against the infectious risk of the MDR-TB, which could spread to neighbouring countries if not treated properly.

Torunn Hasler from LHL and photographer Karin Beate Bøsterud have spent long periods at a tuberculosis hospital in Arkhangelsk. They interviewed many of the patients, some died shortly after. The result of this unique material is a 14 minutes film called Waiting in Hell’s Backyard. The main character in the documentary is a young woman, mother of two, who is infected by MDR-TB, and who shares her apetite for life with the viewers.

Erik Hannemann from Panopticon directed and edited the film for LHL in 2005.

Read more about LHL