Potosí/Salzburg – Heavy breathing, little light, narrow tunnels and work tools that seem to be taken from colonial times. This is the day-to-day life of the miners who work in the silver mines of Cerro Rico, in Bolivia, risking their lives in extreme conditions. Six FH students from Salzburg accompanied a Bolivian family in their work inside the drilled mountain and made a documentary about their harsh reality.
Cerro Rico, whose name means «Rich Mountain», made the city of Potosí, located at 4100 meters above sea level, the most valuable jewel of the Spanish conquistadors. For centuries, their wealth was extracted and shipped to Europe, leaving behind a history of suffering and death. Since the discovery of the silver vein in the 16th century, approximately eight million people have lost their lives on the mountain or on their way to it. One of them was the 14-year-old son of the Cruz family, whom the film crew accompanied. «He died due to the toxic gases. His family is still working in the same place where the tragedy occurred,» says Andreas Posch, one of the filmmakers.
Raúl Cruz works in a place where the sun never shines: the tunnels of Cerro Rico. The most frequent causes of death among miners remain extreme working conditions, which have hardly changed since colonial times. Using hammers and chisels, workers dig for the last vestiges of silver, zinc, tin, and copper. However, the main deposits have already been exhausted.
«The mountain is completely drilled, the main veins are almost exhausted, and the top of the hill is at high risk of collapse,» Posch warns. Underground, food is forbidden, so many miners chew coca leaves to combat fatigue and hunger. In addition, the carbon monoxide released by explosions affects your health. «There are very few protective masks. Many workers die from poisoning or suffer from silicosis,» explains Katharina Rettenbacher, producer of the documentary.
According to statistics, at least one miner dies every day in Cerro Rico. For the inhabitants of Potosí, the mountain has always been considered a dwelling place of the devil. They believe that the deceased have been "devoured" by "Dio", a demonic deity in whom beliefs still persist. Despite the risks, around 15,000 miners continue to work at the mine, including up to 1,000 children. "The city depends on the mine. Many have no other job option," says Rettenbacher. Among the workers is the Cruz family: father Guillermo, his eldest son Raul, son-in-law Grover, and the two youngest sons, Alex and Marco. Day after day, they search for minerals for days of up to 18 hours. For six weeks, the Salzburg students immersed themselves in their world, filming every aspect of their work within the narrow underground passages.
ancient Andean deities related to the earth and mining. According to statistics, at least one miner dies every day in Cerro Rico. For the inhabitants of Potosí, the mountain has always been considered a dwelling place of the devil. They believe that the deceased have been "devoured" by "Dio", a demonic deity in whom beliefs still persist. Despite the risks, around 15,000 miners continue to work at the mine, including up to 1,000 children. "The city depends on the mine. Many have no other job option," says Rettenbacher. Among the workers is the Cruz family: father Guillermo, his eldest son Raul, son-in-law Grover, and the two youngest sons, Alex and Marco. Day after day, they search for minerals for days of up to 18 hours. For six weeks, the Salzburg students immersed themselves in their world, filming every aspect of their work within the narrow underground passages. With the arrival of the Spaniards, these figures were demonized and assimilated into the image of the European devil, giving shape to the figure of the Uncle as we know it today.
to make visible the situation of the miners of Cerro Rico. The film dispenses with narrators and relies on the sounds of the mine and the testimonies of the workers to tell the story. The project received support from the FH, film funds and the Salzburg government. Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, the students raised the final 5,000 euros needed to complete the production. The 25-minute documentary premiered on July 1 at the Das Kino cinema in Salzburg. 📌 More information at: 🔗 www.cerro-rico-film.com
