overblik
Without this metal, there would be no modern technologies today. Since the colonial times, millions of people have died in the Bolivian silver mines of Potosí. In the 21 st century, there are still murderous working conditions there, from which the profits are reaped by international corporations. For the people who live in the area, including children, the mines constitute their entire lives. The documentary depicts their daily routine underground and on the surface without any embellishment. It offers a glimpse into the world where survival depends on the precious metal chunk chipped away by the sweat of the miner’s brow. The exploitation of resources is accompanied by the exploitation of people – and the film brings them out of darkness and oblivion for a moment.