Exploring Precious Metal Mining in Peru through Film

Abstract

Precious metal mining in Peru has been an extremely controversial issue for over one-hundred years, largely due to the variable distribution of wealth produced and the environmental implications. Although mining and the problems associated with it have been in Peru for decades, in recent years Peru has become increasingly attractive for the growing number of international businesses, including mining companies, due to its natural wealth and unsaturated markets. This demands that fair and sustainable business practices are firmly established in order to insure the wellbeing not only of Peru as a nation but also to its rural community members who are oftentimes most negatively affected by mining. These community members have faced relocation, unfulfilled promises, and serious health effects despite being represented by their government and even talking directly to the mining companies. This is forcing rural people in mining areas to search for different outlets to have their voices heard. Film has progressively become a popular vehicle to do this, and critical analyses of these films help reveal the root issues related to mining. The films analyzed in this paper are all produced in Spanish, filmed in Peru, and include locals. En el corazón de Conga (In the Heart of Conga), the documentary focused on most, was produced in 2012, and it includes in-depth interviews with the local people of Cajamarca who are affected by the Conga mine. Molinopampa is a short film that illustrates how damaging mining-related water contamination would be for one local community. Finally, La hija de la laguna (The Daughter or the Lake) reveals the intense effort an Andean community puts forth to stop the local mine. By directly exploring mining issues through film, the medium local Peruvians are utilizing, an authentic perspective is revealed, and the people’s messages are echoed to new audiences.