Under Rich Earth - Bajo Suelos Ricos is now listed on IMBD

gorgeous and intimate, 18 March 2009

Disclaimer: I was a ’script consultant’ on this documentary, which graphically chronicles Canadian mining companies’ use of paramilitary squads to intimidate anti-mining locals in rural Ecuador. So my take on this one is somewhat unique: I’m reacting to the incredible amount of impact and elegance that the film has gained between the last rough cut I saw and this week’s Cinematheque screening. But I haven’t heard anyone disagree with me yet: I can’t think of a single advocacy doc that’s better than this. Well okay, Kanehsatake, or High School; but it’s seriously close to that league. The thing is, in spite of its zero-budget camcorder aesthetic, it’s totally cinematic. Sprawlingly gorgeous in setting and disarmingly intimate in characterization, it mines its situations for all the empathetic emotional response they can carry - lots. Blessedly without narration, the story is told through interviews, but they are so diverse and articulate, and so well-integrated into the visual-narrative flow, that things never get static or simplistic. The dramatic peaks around which the film unwinds are terse, satisfyingly whole, and surprising. And the final shot may be corny, but it’s also perfect.

Reid Neufeld talks about Under Rich Earth on his blog Global Health Nexus and makes some interesting connections between environmentalism, culture and value.

EDOC Documentary Film Festival, Quito, Ecuador

Rye Cinema is pleased to announce the South American premiere of the acclaimed feature documentary film Under Rich Earth at EDOC (Encuentros del Otro Cine /Encounters with the Other Cinema). EDOC is considered to be the most important film festival in Ecuador. The festival begins in the capital city of Quito and travels to several other cities in Ecuador, including Guayaquil and Cuenca. Under Rich Earth had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival and premiered in Europe at BEST.DOKS Munich.

Quito
Saturday, May 9th
INCINE - Instituto Superior Tecnológico de Cine y Actuación
Sala 4
21:15

Quito
Thursday, May 14th
Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriano
http://cce.org.ec/ccenew/
19:30

Guayaquil
Friday, May 15th
Alianza Francesa de Guayaquil
19:30

PRESS AND FESTIVAL CONTACTS

Paulina Simon – EDOC Press Coordinator
(593 9) 7643489 mobile

Corporación Cinememoria
VII Festival Internacional de Cine Documental
Encuentros del Otro Cine EDOC
www.festivaledoc.org
www.cinememoria.org
Veintimilla E8-125
Telefax (593-2) 2902 250 / 2902 432
Quito, Ecuador