SYNOPSIS
Roots en Route. An Atlas of Black Gold is a documentary/essay film that explores the evolution of extractionism and expansion of capitalism moving across history in three specific geographies: Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais–Brazil; Gillette, Wyoming–U.S.; and Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche–México.
These local histories are portrayed as case studies that aim to open new ways of understanding a global context in which we all are interconnected. In turn, I focus on the impact of natural and human resources exploitation, social displacement due to “natural” disasters and the expansion of industrial development.
My goal is to investigate experiences that we consider belonging to the other but in reality are common to different territories, using ecological analysis as a means of understanding human history. This implies pluralizing geological, historical and artistic thought as a political project of resisting, transforming or escaping the western tradition within the scope of environmental history.
“Villa Rica de Ouro Preto había conquistado categoría de ciudad en 1711; nacida de la avalancha de los mineros, era la quintaesencia de la civilización del oro. (…) Francisco Tavares de Brito, definía en 1732 a Ouro Preto como la Potosí de oro”.
“A lo largo del siglo XVIII, la producción brasileña del codiciado mineral superó el volument total del oro que España había extraído de sus colonias durante los dos siglos anteriores”.
Eduardo Galeano, Las venas abiertas de América Latina.
Director, Scriptwriter, Cinematographer, Art Direction and Edition: Elena Lavellés
Sound design: Gastón Horischnik and Javier Lara
Sound: Gastón Horischnik and Elena Lavellés
Interviewees
Frank Lang (Gillette, WY, US)
Phil Christopherson (Energy Capital. Gillette, WY, US)
Jeff Wandler (L&H Industrial, Gillette, WY, US)
Brittney Thomas (L&H Industrial, Gillette, WY, US)
Robert A. Henning (Rock Pile Museum. Gillette, WY, US)
Bob Stowe (Gillette, WY, US)
Tonino Minha (Chico Rei Mine, Ouro Preto, Brazil)
Beto (Chico Rei Mine, Ouro Preto, Brazil)
Paulo Baptista (Movimiento do Gandarela y Prof. Minas Gerais Federal University. BH, Minas Gerais, Brazil)
Adrian Flores and Yannick Deniau (GeoComunes Colective, Ciudad de México)
Anel Alejandra Jiménez Cruz (Coordinadora de Servicios Culturales y Educativos, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México)
Estrella Fuentes Durán (Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico)
Tomás José Obrador Garrido Capellini (Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico)
Drone Operator: Artur Silva
Filmed on Location
Black Thunder Mine. (WY, U.S.)
Dry Fork Power Plant. (WY, U.S.)
Energy Capital (Gillette, WY, U.S.)
Eagle Butte Mine. (WY, U.S.)
L&H Industrial. Gillette, (WY, U.S.)
Rock Pile Museum. (Gillette, WY, U.S.)
Library of Congress (Washington, D.C., U.S.)
Whitney Independent Study Program studios (NYC, NY, U.S.)
Parque Ecológico El Fénix. (Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico)
Maritime Port (Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico)
Arpoador(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plaça Tiradentes (Ouro Preto, Brazil)
Mina de Chico Rei (Ouro Preto, Brazil)
Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (Madrid, Spain)
Stills and Stock Footage Courtesy of
Rock Pile Museum. (Gillette, WY, U.S.)
Library of Congress(Washington, D.C., U.S.)
International Monetary Fund Archives (Washington, D.C., U.S.)
Special Thanks
Spain:
Blanca de la Torre, Javier Esquillor y Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas, Maria Lourdes Fernández Díaz Facultad de CC.Geológicas de la UniversidadComplutense de Madrid, Pablo Galán Coppel, Mónica Iglesias (By Mónica Studio, Madrid, Dorian de Kermadec (Principal Consultant, Pöyry), Jana Pacheco, Jesús Reyes de Andrés, Geological and Mining Institute of Spain. Madrid, Matadero Madrid
Brazil:
Prof. André Luis Carvalho (Ouro Preto Federal University. Minas Gerais), Jornal A Sirene, (Minas Gerais), Adriana Bravin.
Mexico:
Laura Cervera Fuentes (Ciudad del Carmen), Capitán Antonio García Gall (Maritime Port of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche), GeoComunes Collective, Carlos Palácios (Museo Carrillo Gil, Ciudad del México)
United States
Rebecca Baron (CalArts. CA, US), Ashley Hunt (CalArts. CA, US), Fico Lazzaro-Colon (Washington D.C.), L&H Industrial and all its staff (Gillette, WY, US), Juliana Luján (Los Angeles, CA), Anneta Orraca-Tetteh (Communications Officer, International Monetary Fund. Washington D.C., U.S.)