A documentary-style film by Hubert Sauper, Darwin’s Nightmare examines the subject of globalization and what this can mean for poorer societies across Africa. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2006, this film offers an account of a very real and inconvenient truth about Western Tanzania’s imports and exports.

The film begins by presenting the devastating account of how a large fish called the Nile Perch was introduced into Lake Victoria (the source of the river Nile, known to many as the birthplace of humankind) only to consume the entirety of the smaller species of fish native to the lake. Despite the ecological damage inflicted by the Nile Perch, it’s significant demand from the European market has led this issue to be overlooked.

In order to fulfill this large demand, enormous cargo planes from abroad (often Eastern Europe) fly in and out of Tanzania, exporting up to 55 tons of fish per day for consumption in wealthier countries. Aside from the obvious commercial activity, locals have been unable to fish due to the Nile Perch wiping out all else in the lake. This lack of fish has left residents with limited food for themselves and their families with no choice but to scrounge for festering, discarded carcasses that the planes won’t take - having been bypassed on the food chain.

The second and perhaps even more significant finding from the documentary is the exposure of other, more sinister uses for the planes. There is evidence to suggest the ‘empty’ planes entering the country are actually filled with weapons and ammunition to support civil war in Africa. The documentary even hints that the fish trade may simply be a useful smokescreen to mask the real, politically based motive for the flights.

This documentary has been an eye-opener and if nothing else, can educate us further as to some of the complex issues countries like Tanzania face.