Gold Fever

Powerful documentary giving the personal stories behind colonial-style resource extraction. In this case, a Canadian company strip-mining for gold in the Guatemalan highlands - but it could just as well be Peru, Congo, or any number of so-called "third world" countries who are on the receiving end of ecologic and cultural destruction in the name of global markets.

The main characters in this story are, appropriately, the local indigenous farmers who suffer directly - without adequate compensation - the destruction of their lands. But the documentary also gives historical background, including CIA jiggery-pokery from the 1950s, the American United Fruit Company, current Canadian corporate interests, and organizations trying to help bring some justice to those without a voice.

The countryside is beautiful and the native Mayan people are courageous. Those of us from "el norte" and, by extension, the entire "first world" - with our pension fund investments - should take a hard look at the real costs of development projects.

An excellent, well-researched and thoughtful presentation - thankfully devoid of shouting heads and gotcha interviews.

Thank you for doing this film! It was well documented and gives us an honest view into the modern day struggles our indigenous people are facing... It is incredible to see the lack of common sense big corporations have, blinded by greed... I pray this reaches more and more people over the world... and they begin to question our modern day system... What is Gold/money any way? It has a worth because we have assigned it worth... Is the devastating feat of acquiring it really worth it? Is it worth our health, our natural resources, our livelihood? Thank you for posing these questions and showing what we are doing to our selves and neighbors...