The Stinking Ship is a groundbreaking documentary that chronicles the humanitarian catastrophe that occurred after a Swiss-based oil and commodity shipping company unloaded its cargo of toxic waste in the middle of the largest city in Cote d’Ivoire, causing one of the worst environmental crises of the last decade. The film opens with a shot of the Probo Koala, an oil tanker carrying over 500 tons of toxic waste. On August 19th, under the cover of night, the ship crept into the Port of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and then departed just as quickly. Almost immediately, residents of the coastal city began complaining of a foul stench emanating from within their city. Within days, at least 15 people had died, 23 were hospitalized, and a further 40,000 sought medical treatment, due to headaches, nosebleeds, and stomach pains.
Bagassi Koura is a journalist and filmmaker. He is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley School of Journalism. He has worked as a correspondent in Africa, Europe and the United States, covering international news items for major global media networks. His stories have appeared on PBS Frontline/World, Agence France Presse, the Deutsche Welle, Reuters Television, Die Tageszeitung, Panos Institute West Africa, Afrikanet.info, and Afrik.com.
