Reflections

A central topic of the film is the invisible danger. The asbestos fibres from the factory where everywhere in the town of Niederurnen. They described the fibres and dust like a snow cover, which was like a thin layer across the town. For a long time, the authorities did not take this risk seriously, despite reports and studies of asbestos being a hazard and a cause of cancer. This silence allowed the damage and the health hazard to continue much longer than it should have. Asbestos production was banned in certain European countries starting in 1983. Switzerland banned asbestos production in 1990, but the factory remained open until 1994. Because the health hazards of asbestos only come up many decades after the exposure, the state and factory cannot be tried in a justice process, as the crime has reached its statute of limitations.

The film shows what it meant to be an “Gastarbeiter” in Switzerland during those years. For many, it was not what they expected and hoped for. The film’s personal stories and interviews show, how much these workers contributed to the Swiss economy, but how quickly their suffering is forgotten and ignored once problems appear. Furthermore, it shows the precarious working conditions in the factories.

Anna Joos uses a combination of archive and present-day film material, interviews and sound design to create a quiet but intimidating and intense atmosphere. Often the film lets the scenes of empty landscapes, the factory or people speak for themselves. This approach seemed very fitting for the topic of the film, as many people have died from cancer due to asbestos exposure. In my opinion, the overall quietness and heaviness of the film capture this tragedy well.

Anna Joos sent the Global Science Film Festival a short video, where she raised some questions concerning the health hazard of asbestos and state negligence and complicity. She heavily criticized the state of Switzerland for being compliant in these crimes and the cover-up, as well as the missed opportunity for justice. This is because the work of these people was decades ago, and the statue of limitations is set at 10 years. For cases on the long-term effects of working with dangerous substances, this time frame is too short to take cases to court and achieve justice for the people harmed. Anna Joos explains that almost none of the sick people or their relatives received any financial compensation. Most critics and viewers were impressed by how the film connects social science with cinema, not just by telling a story, but by encouraging us to think about what this history means for Switzerland today.

Even though the film is quite short, it brings a lot of ideas that are relevant in the geography context. The location of a valley that looks isolated but is actually deeply connected to international labour and markets, show that geography is not just about the physical and spatial landscape, but also about people’s experiences and the movements of resources. Joos’ documentary approach is a good example of how geographical methods can include fieldwork, archival research, and filmmaking.

Niederurnen, GL was shown at film festivals, including the Visions du Réel in Nyon and received a lot of positive feedback for the approach and powerful message on a topic that has been ignored for a long time. Many people, especially from the Italian community as well as descendants of the workers found the film important for remembering their families struggles and injustices. The film has also been described as a clear statement against structural racism that migrant workers face, and as a call for more social responsibility in the future.

• Was there enough control over other dangerous industries in Switzerland, or did economic interests silence criticism for too long?
• How does the situation look today? How are we taking responsibility for companies that are Swiss-owned but have been outsourced to countries where health standards are violated?
• How do we deal with these forgotten stories and invisible workers? Are their stories getting the attention they deserve in Swiss history, or do we need to have more remembrance?
• Do films like this stand a chance to have an actual impact on regulations of industries?

In summary, the film is not just a film about a failure of the state in the past, but also a reminder to pay attention to the stories and places that are often left out of the general historical context. The film is very meaningful for the studies of migrant workers, industry, and justice in Switzerland. Hopefully, the film will help in looking more critically at how the Swiss landscape is shaped by invisible histories and injustices.