HUMANIZING A COMMUNITY: BLANCO

The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation defines the condition of Albinism "an inherited genetic condition that reduces the amount of melanin pigment formed in the skin, hair and/or eyes. Albinism occurs in all racial and ethnic groups throughout the world."

Blanco was screened at the 2014 T&T Film Festival. It is a documentary about an Albino community in the Dominican Republic.

Type: Documentary

Director: Melvin Durán
Region: Dominican Republic
Year: 2014
Minutes Running Time: 62

Language: Spanish (with English subtitles) 

BLANCO

In his first feature-length film director Melvin Duran, Blanco documents the lives of six albinos of differing ages in the Dominican Republic. During the Q&A segment, Mr Duran revealed that the documentary is guided at humanizing the albino community within his country. He portrays his group, not as shunned or marginalized due to their distinctive features but rather as being revered for their white skin and blond hair.

The opening scene begins with a family inclusive of an infant girl who is albino. This is then followed by a family of five; similarly made up of persons of seemingly mixed races. In this case there were two albino children of pre- teen age. The director’s attention to the various age groups is meant to point to the average life expectancy of a person with albinism in his native Dominican Republic. Persons with albinism do not live well beyond their 40’s due to the lack of education about the harmful effects of the sun; which results in many albinos contracting skin cancer and which the leading cause of death within the albino community.

Throughout the film the director creates a sense of normalcy for his main characters. From their happiness to hardships; each scene involving persons with albinism did not seem unique to the albino community and in fact, he succeeds in blurring the line, as the apparent differences are lost to the viewer.

Blanco also reminds the audience that in some instances children are deprived of their childhoods. This is illustrated as one of Duran’s female protagonists reminisces about being married at the age of fourteen to a man almost thirty years her senior.  While this fate may not be exclusive to his focus group; Duran again exposes some of the precipitating effects of albinism. 


Albinism is a condition which is often misunderstood and affects many around the world. In the Dominican Republic film director Melvin Duran humanizes a community of Albinos in his country and lets the viewers into their world, as he attempts to prove that their differences are only skin deep. 

If you enjoyed this piece and you can get your hands on a copy of Blanco leave us a comment below about your views on albinism and Duran's featuring of the often misrepresented community. You can also look out for more local and regional films at this year's Film Festival which is happening from 15/09- 02/10/2016.