Lust for gold

Deep in the northern territory of the Brazilian Amazon forty thousand gold miners live together with nine thousand Indians. As the ever-expanding gold mines push closer to the Indian reservation, tribal tradition and cultural identity stand to risk dissipation. Dutch documentary filmmaker Joost Kraanen attempts to document how the native Yanomami Indians and gold miners both compete for the same stretch of land, respectively for the preservation of tradition and commercial interest.

Social Interest

Tribal tradition competes with commercial interest as the Indians attempt to preserve their way of life and the miners struggle to make a living. Tragically neither seems to benefit. An observation by one of the miners exemplifies how the relentless lust for gold causes one to loose ones dignity. “It is an addiction” he says, “After working in the goldmine, that’s all you want to do”. Yet the same miner later expresses his admiration for the Indians in their good-hearted affection and peaceful coexistence with nature.

Style

Joost Kraanen takes his time to fully explore his subject by carefully pacing a thorough exploration of all relevant factors. He gives all of the involved, gold mine owners, the miners, and the natives alike, a voice by allowing them to express their point of view.

Rhetoric

Kraanens documentary attempts to cover all relevant factors, yet he also alternates the different conversations with still shots that seemingly have no rhetoric relevance. By his careful pacing Kraanen’s creates moments of contemplation, allowing the viewer to form his own point of view on the subject based on what is presented but also on his own background and opinion. By neither giving a prevailing preference to any of the relevant views on the subject, nor expressing a clear rhetorical interpretation, Kraanen recognises the inherent complexity in considering the desirability of commercial allocation of nature against the risk of losing tribal tradition and customs.