Alarm bells rang this month at the Cerro Rico mines in Potosí, the very same mountain that was the scenario of the documentary “The Devil’s Miner” (2005) by Polar Star Films.

Due to the pure dynamite explosions and with more than a hundred kilometres of tunnels running inside the mine, the mine is in danger of collapse trapping thousands of miners inside. Declared World Heritage in Danger by UNESCO, the mountain supports the families of the nearly 12,000 miners working the area. It is for this reason that the Bolivian government has decided to relocate in six months all the miners to take up other work areas as a plan to protect the iconic and deteriorated mountain.

The silver mines of Cerro Rico, whose peak is 4,702 meters above sea level, have been exploited nonstop since 1545 and were a major source of income for Spain during colonial times. Currently, its peak undergoes a process of internal collapse equal to three centimetres a day, according to government assessments.

In 2005, Polar Star Films released a documentary about Basilio Vargas and his brother Bernardino, 14 and 12 years, respectively, who worked in this mine. Through their eyes we discover the world of the miners, devoted Catholics, and how they break their ties with God when entering the mountain, as it is believed that the Devil, represented by hundreds of statues constructed inside the tunnels, determines the fate of those who work in the mines. We’ll see what future will bring to them.

For more information visit the oficial site http://www.thedevilsminer.com
To buy a copy on DVD please contact us!