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. They tell their remarkable story to Emily Webb.
YouTuber Jonna Jinton lives in the remote north of Sweden, along with her pet dog and cow. She has a unique passion: trying to revive a traditional Scandinavian herding call known as kulning. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.
Picture: Manuel Barriuso with his sons Sebasti谩n and Rodrigo Barriuso, 1992.
Credit: Courtesy of Rodrigo & Sebasti谩n Barriuso
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Thu 4 Mar 2021 12:06GMT主播大秀 World Service
- Thu 4 Mar 2021 18:06GMT主播大秀 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 4 Mar 2021 23:06GMT主播大秀 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 5 Mar 2021 03:06GMT主播大秀 World Service
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