The Cuban dad who became a lifeline for Chernobyl's children
Manuel Barriuso went from literature professor to medical translator to help victims of Chernobyl. His sons Sebasti谩n and Rodrigo made a film about his work called Un Traductor.
In 1990, Manuel Barriuso was a professor of Russian literature in Havana when one morning he was ordered to the city's paediatric hospital. Unknown to him, a plane-load of seriously ill children 鈥� all victims of the devastating Chernobyl nuclear disaster 鈥� had arrived in Cuba for free treatment in a historic humanitarian program. And Manuel 鈥� who had no medical background 鈥� would be one of their translators. He had to abandon Tolstoy and Chekov and learn about oncology to translate life and death conversations between medics, sick children and their distressed parents. Manuel's sons Sebasti谩n and Rodrigo have turned their father's story into the award-winning feature film, Un Traductor. (This interview was first broadcast in March 2021)
Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
(Photo: Manuel Barriuso with his sons Sebasti谩n and Rodrigo Barriuso, 1992. Credit: Courtesy of Rodrigo & Sebasti谩n Barriuso)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Sat 6 May 2023 04:32GMT大象传媒 World Service West and Central Africa
- Sat 6 May 2023 18:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Sat 6 May 2023 23:32GMT大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sun 7 May 2023 08:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Sun 7 May 2023 22:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 8 May 2023 02:32GMT大象传媒 World Service Europe and the Middle East
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected