They Come for the Gold 2010
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Hugo Castro Fau, Cristian Harbaruk, Pablo D’Alo Abba
Directed by Pablo D’Alo Abba, Cristian Harbaruk
DVD, color, 87 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Environmental Studies, Geography, Political Science, South American Studies
Date Entered: 05/20/2011
Reviewed by Veronica Maher, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island“The majestic landscape of millenary larch forests, endless mountain trails, rivers and lakes invite different outdoor activities. Tranquility and beauty are unique. The four seasons have different characteristics: snow and skiing in winter, an explosion of colors and flowers in spring, and in fall, leaves turning from yellow to red make it an ideal destination for Patagonia photography. Whatever season you choose, your experience will be unforgettable.” (From Esquel tourism website)
What does a community do when a downed economy results in 40% unemployment rate? How does it respond to Meridian Mining which offers to come into the area and create jobs and attract new industries? First instinct should be to take advantage of these perks and welcome the company with little opposition. Not in Esquel. They stood firm in their efforts to prevent environmental and social destruction. They saw the open pit mining for gold providing only short term benefits but long term consequences. The success of the 2003 referendum prevented the company from mining that open pit gold mine which would have used cyanide to extract the gold and in so doing pollute the waters in the area.
This story of political action by the citizens of Esquel is noteworthy and inspiring. On March 23, 2003 the people voted overwhelmingly and said “no” and in 2007 Argentina’s Supreme Court upheld the law that banned open pit mining and its use of cyanide. Recommended for environmental studies and political science courses.
Awards
- Winner, Best Movie, International Film Festival Gualeguaychu, 2010