Under Rich Earth (Bajo suelos ricos) Trailer (2009)

Trailer for the documentary, Under Rich Earth, which screened at the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Amidst the lush, green scenery of the farming village of Junin, Ecuador, an intense conflict grows over the control and legacy of the fertile and lucrative copper-rich ground. With astonishing footage of confrontations captured by villagers, human rights observers, and his own camera, Malcolm Rogge's first feature-length documentary tells the revealing story of a small community standing up to the aggressive tactics of a determined Canadian mining corporation in late 2006. While Ascendant Copper Corporation pushes for development of its mining concession in the village, a local environmental group and others in the community remain strongly opposed. The mining issue creates division between those hoping for jobs and community development, and those who feel it will destroy the land. Company representatives speak of 80%-85% community support ratings, but a large protest and interviews with locals start to call these numbers into question. As the mining debate escalates, a team of men pursuing the company's interests arrive at the makeshift community checkpoint with guns, bulletproof vests, and cans of pepper spray. When an even larger group of armed men arrive the next day, the villagers unite to take action.