A GOLDEN LIFE is a debut documentary by Burkinabè filmmaker Boubacar Sangaré, who follows the lives of young gold miners in his native country. The film focuses on 16-year-old Bolo, who works in a 100-metre-deep shaft with his friends, hoping to find gold and a better future. Also introduced are Missa and Dramane, two younger boys who carry heavy sacks of earth for a meager income.
The film shows the harsh and dangerous reality of artisanal gold mining, which has become a widespread phenomenon in Burkina Faso after the financial crisis. It also exposes the contrast and conflict between the local miners and the foreign prospectors, who have more resources and technology, but less respect for the land and the people.
A GOLDEN LIFE is a beautifully shot, evocatively structured dive into the world of Sub-Saharan Africa’s chaotic and risky gold mining business. It adopts an observational approach, without interviews or voice-overs, letting the images and sounds tell the story, capturing the daily routine, the hopes and fears, the joys and sorrows, and the dreams and nightmares of the young miners.
It’s an exploration of the cultural and spiritual aspects of gold mining, such as the belief in djinn, who decide the fate of the miners.
Not a conventional documentary, it’s rather an experimental and immersive narrative that combines text, images, and sounds to create a compelling and original story.
A GOLDEN LIFE is a timely and relevant contribution to the debates on gold mining and its impact on society and culture. It offers a refreshing and critical perspective that challenges the assumptions and biases of the mainstream discourse on gold mining and invites the viewer to rethink the meaning and value of gold in a global and pluralistic world.
The film is also a personal and intimate portrait of the filmmaker, who was himself a child gold miner in Bantara, and who returns to his roots to tell his own story as well as the stories of the young miners.