Mine Your Own Business: The Dark Side of Environmentalism (2006) (V)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Directors:

Phelim McAleer
Ann McElhinney

Writer:

Phelim McAleer (writer)

Genre:

Documentary

Cast

Phelim McAleer

...

(voice)

Runtime:

UK:66 min

Country:

Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Chile

Company:

Moving Picture Institute

Wonderful movie with many moral tales

This movie gets to the heart of the "other side" of the story. While most well-to-do westerners oppose mining on altruistic and environmental grounds, they ignore what happens to the people whose livelihoods depend on mines. From Eastern Europe to South America, we travel from mine to mine to get the perspectives of the mine workers, the communities that depend on them, as well as perspectives from environmentalists. What makes this movie so effective is how it juxtaposes the claims of self-absorbed Western environmentalists with what actually goes on in poor mining communities.

It's not the usual feel-good pap you'll see from Hollywood. This movie will challenge the western viewer's assumptions about the impacts of "feel good" environmentalism. When DDT was banned in Africa to satisfy Western environmentalist desires, millions of Africans died. Now the cycle seems to be repeating, only this time Westerners are killing off a way of living for many of the world's poorest.