Hot Docs

In a small town on the border of Argentina and Chile, the residents of Esquel are conflicted over a lucrative bid from Canadian mining company Meridian Gold. On the one hand, the mine will provide much needed work for residents, half of whom live below the poverty line. On the other hand, the gold and silver extraction requires large amounts of water and cyanide. While the city begins making plans, residents are left to ponder the project’s impact on their health and ecology, as well as the economic dependency that will be created. The divided residents campaign for the chance to exercise their democratic right, and the bid now becomes the motivation for civil action. They Come for the Gold is a probing and topical documentary exploring the burden and the benefits of foreign mining. - Karina Rotenstein