The film takes the audience on a poetic journey into a remote goldmine nestled in the jungles of #Venezuela. The pace is slow, the visuals are beautiful and always very present. Never staged and uncomfortable, the film focuses on the men working hard to search for #gold in a difficult environment. I feel wrapped in a blanket by the exceptionally beautiful Spanish narration made by Jorge Gaviria. His voice and the fact that he is explaining and describing what we, as an audience, encounter.
He acts as a kind of observer and an advanced form of tour guide, helping the viewer question what we see and occasionally providing the answer himself.
The water
The local men are constantly working in the water. They look strong and determined in their effort to discover gold in the yellow-brown water. They know exactly how to search for the small stones, and sometimes, the men find a little piece. But it is not only a gain for them. The narrator explains that the financial distribution is only 39% for the workers. Nothing is returned to the earth, and the workers risk their lives every day. Four men have already died.
Close up of food, a large colony of ants working, cut to the men who work. The director is not afraid of showing a point, forcing me to think and reflect. It works.
As the film progresses, the men use different methods and tools to search for gold and potential happiness. Small pieces of gold are shifting hands when they pay in gold. But how many days of sorrow for one glory? The narrator stresses that the jungle tries to protect the gold the workers provide from the forest, but do they give back enough? That is the question that is underlying the entire film. As some kind of repayment, the workers must always clean the new machines. Machines that are now needed from moving to the industrial zones.
They look strong and determined in their effort to discover gold in the yellow-brown water.
Life-threatening risk
The theme reminds me of Michael Glarwogger´s The Working Man’s Death, which deals with the extremes to which workers go to earn a living in several countries around the world. I am also thinking about the beautiful and shocking black-and-white photos from the famous photographer #Sebastião Salgado#, who documented the hard work in the Serra Pelada Gold Mine in Brazil in 1986.
In director Chris Gude’s film, the gold diggers have moved to a cave to dig, again risking their lives. Exposed to gases, they will die within a few minutes. This claustrophobic scene stresses that the workers are taking a serious, life-threatening risk. What value does the life of a mine labourer have? That is the question the feature is asking, and it lingers throughout the film.
Visually, Gude integrates old drawings and photochemical paintings as a rich content layer, enhancing the narrative. It works very well for me.
Moriche palm
The title «Morichales» refers to the landscapes dominated by the #moriche palm#, commonly found in #South America#. The moriche palm is said to have a wide range of uses for local communities. Its fruits are edible, its fibres can be used for weaving, and it plays a key role in stabilizing wetland soil and supporting biodiversity.
The very talented Gude is behind most of the film’s artistic work titles, but I also want to mention the sound and music that contribute to the creation of a poetic masterpiece.
While I may forget the title, the 83 minutes spent in the Gude’s universe will undoubtedly stay with me forever.
