As Hinkley Point C, which will be Britain’s biggest nuclear power plant, rises next door, Sam, 11, dreams of protecting the fish he identifies with. He believes the only way is to go a private school – but his parents can’t afford the offer. As a last resort, they turn to the power company for funding, forcing Sam to decide what kind of person he wants to be.
On vast muddy fields scattered with towering cranes and bright yellow diggers, the first new nuclear power station in the UK for a generation is slowly taking shape. Hinkley Point, on the Somerset coast, is the biggest building site in Europe and the most expensive power station in the world.
The estimated £20.3bn project is backed by a complex financial agreement between Électricité de France (EDF) and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), a state-run Chinese energy company. Under this contract, British electricity consumers will pay billions over 35 years, at double the current market value.
Not everyone has lost faith in the project. Many locals warmly embrace the 25,000 jobs and support for local businesses and education. Sam wants to challenge the community and work in opposition to Hinkley. The film follows his journey toward this dream.
When the plant closes after about 65 years, it must be left cool for at least that long after. The waste will be stored for 200,000 years – the longest lasting remains of our civilisation. In Sam and the Plant Next Door, Sam guides us through his inner world, exploring these seldom-asked existential questions.
The film’s Copenhagen-based director Ömer Sami produces, directs and edits human interest documentaries, and works for Sundance’s Documentary Fund Program. The Guardian featured his film about a hotline for Syrian refugees.
Coming up: Once Upon a Lynching
The killing of a Muslim dairy farmer in India exposes the hate machinery of rightwing Hindu nationalists.
Released in mid-May
