Gold Mining in Mauritania, High Risk, Low Reward

See this raw and gritty journey to the gold mines of Chami, Mauritania. Traveling on the back of a pickup, Guiseppe arrives at the mines and secures permission from the cautious concession owner to film, despite the miners’ reluctance to attract more people to this remote and dangerous area. The owner’s son explains the mining process, and Giuseppe enlists a miner to descend into the perilous 45-meter-deep shafts with his camera, capturing the intense challenges these miners face daily. The risk is high—some lives have already been lost in these deep holes that can be up to 100 meters deep—but a single gold find could change their destiny, although success is rare. After four months without gold, the miners are broke. Giuseppe purchases a bag of gold ore and takes it back to Chami, where it is milled into a fine slurry. One liter of mercury is added to every ton of ore to create an amalgam, as the mercury binds with the gold. However, the process involves burning off the mercury with a naked flame, releasing toxic fumes into the air. Giuseppe captures this hazardous method, highlighting the severe health risks of mercury poisoning and the contamination of waterways, leading to mercury-tainted fish. Despite the risks and the work involved, no gold is found, illustrating the harsh reality of gold mining in a country where 50% of the population is unemployed." This version includes the full sequence of events while emphasizing the risks and struggles faced by the miners. Let me know your thoughts!