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TV crew accused of killing lost-tribe children with flu
Amar Singh, Media Correspondent27.03.08
A British TV director was accused today of causing the deaths of four members of an isolated Amazonian tribe by unwittingly introducing the flu virus into their remote village.
Matt Currington, a London-based documentary maker, has been blamed for triggering a "mini-epidemic" in the village of 250 people which led to the deaths of three children and one adult of the Matsigenka people, who live in the isolated Amazonian Cumerjali area of south-eastern Peru.
The 38-year-old was employed by Cicada Productions as researcher when he travelled to the area with a guide last year to scout for locations for the World's Lost Tribes series, which airs on the Discovery Channel.
Government officials say there has been an outbreak of respiratory sickness since he and a guide visited the region despite warnings not to interact with the tribe, who have no contact with outsiders.
The Peruvian government has consulted the regional Indian rights organisation Fenama and plans to ban the company from returning to the area.
Survival International, a campaigning group for indigenous peoples around the world, condemned the TV crew for ignoring warnings to stay away from the area's most vulnerable communities.
A spokesman said: "They were warned not to go upstream, but were unhappy with the tribe in Yomybato - the village they were permitted to visit - as the Indians appeared too westernised. So, in searching for a more stereotypical tribe, they came into contact with a vulnerable community.
"We even have people working on the ground who claim that the crew offered the tribe more traditional costumes.
"Through their indiscriminate chasing of 'so called' witch doctors and head hunters these reality TV crews are jeopardising the future of indigenous communities across the world."
Cicada strongly denied the allegations. "The researcher and his guide did not visit the area where the deaths are said to have occurred and no deaths occurred among the individuals they met," a spokesman said.
On his website, Mr Currington says he has "a personal passion for working with indigenous peoples". Speaking from Colombia, where he is working on another documentary, he told the Standard: "I'm not pleased about this at all. What is being said about this is way, way out of bounds," before asking us to refer all enquiries to Cicada.
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Personal passion for working with indigenous peoples regardless of their lack of immunity to the diseases we obviously carry? Perhaps the faux 'reality' shows and encroachment of some of our more 'worthless' values onto such peoples could be highlighted. We have little of use to teach other people and so much to learn...without jeopardising their very existence.
- Lisaxian, London, England
Typical 'explorer' going places he has no call going and destroying lives with his "passion for indigenous peoples". Obviously there was a specific reason he was told not to go too deeply into the forest and now he has death on his hands. For what ego?
- Irene Hancock, London
What has the TV crew done for the indigenous. Probably nothing else than harm.
I have witnessed National Geo photographers during some Easter ceremonies in remote Mexico. They just pop in for a few days and left with their money making materials. They kept complaining about the comfort and just wanted to get back to their hotel's room while the people were on the brink of starvation through exploitation by government and loggers. Most of their images were directed (i.e. faked), asking the locals to pose like if it was a fashion shoot to present the exotism. I spent 4 months getting involved in the daily task of the tribe, I was far more aware of political/discrimination issues and wrote articles bringing awareness to the rest of the world. These guys were like bullies, stylist, directors, forcing their way into dwellings with bribes like fags, plastic jewellery etc. They left after 48h without saying goodbye to anybody.
Through the years, I have been in contact with the TV industry.
Somehow I just can't imagine a crew bringing anything else, than fags, western clothing, rubbish and diseases. The TV industry is not interested in these people, just in their program, their audience and how much money their can make. I will estimate the budget of such a program, to be far beyond the added wealth of all the people they have met during that trip. As for the information to the viewer, it is usually completely erroneous and fabricated to bring the dream home. TV is 99% fake.
- Lauren, London Uk
