白化病活动家对抗巫术谋杀

Dozens of albinos have been mutilated and slaughtered in Tanzania in recent years, because of rumors being spread that their body parts can bring wealth and good luck.

An albino himself, Josephat Torner has been traveling around Tanzania to debunk the widespread misconceptions about the congenital disorder.

To stop the atrocities, Torner thought he needed to confront the group he believed was the source of these rumors: witchdoctors.

And that's what brought him to the depths of caves in northeast Tanzania, face to face with his "enemy."

"We call you a spirit because a white person like you is the devil," readily admits the witchdoctor.

"You're saying I'm a white demon?" Torner hits back, "we are demons?"

The reply: "Yes, because you're white."

This dramatic confrontation is one of the most intense moments captured in a new documentary, called "In the Shadow of the Sun."

The independent film was shot by director Harry Freeland about Torner and his fight for acceptance of albinos in a country where little is known about the genetic disorder.

People with albinism are born with genes that do not make the normal amounts of the pigment called melanin. Many people don't understand the effects of the condition, in parts of Africa albinos often suffer social stigma, prejudice and even attacks.

Keen to make a film documenting the plight of this group of people, Freeland headed to Tanzania, the country reported to have one of the biggest albino populations in the world. There, he came across many amazing stories, but he didn't find his leading man until he met Torner.

"I just heard him speak and instantly, I just knew he was the one to lead the film," says Freeland. "I think so many stories that come out of Africa are negative, and everything about Josephat is positive."

Despite growing up with a disorder that left his skin and hair pale, as well as his strength and eye sight weak, he's overcome struggles and discrimination over the years. A father of two, Torner' has even climbed Africa's tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro, to prove that albinos can achieve greatness.

Freeland says at the heart of the problem are witch doctors making claims that albino body parts can bring wealth. Some of the victims were people Torner used to know.

"I was angry," says Torner, recalling the moments following his confrontation with the witchdoctor.

"He answered it to me directly, without even trying to hide anything. So I was angry, of course, because I remember my brothers and sisters whom I lost, because I will not see them forever and while he's there he's continually surviving," he adds. "So, you ask yourself, 'what's the problem? Why are they killing us? Why are they hunting us?'"

Torner realizes he may never get a suitable answer to those questions. Yet, this doesn't stop him from doing all he can to bring attention to his message of creating a more inclusive society.

He hopes that his community work and the documentary focusing on his efforts, coupled with the outreach from other organizations and the government, will eventually make Tanzania a place where albinos aren't forced to stay in the shadows.

近年来，数十名白化病患者在坦桑尼亚被谋杀和支解。因为有传言他们的身体部位可以带来财富和好运。Josephat Torner本身也是一名白化病患者，他在坦桑尼亚各地向不同人解释对白化病普遍的误解。