This Stolen Country of Mine
(Mein gestohlenes Land)
Marc Wiese | Documentary
2022 | 93 minutes | Germany, Ecuador
Recently assassinated journalist and presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and the indigenous resistance exposed the Ecuadorian government's corrupt agreements that allow Chinese exploitation of local mines.
Synopsis
Chinese mining in Ecuador’s mountains sets the stage for an epic battle between eco-guerrillas and a corrupt government in an intensely dramatic documentary.
This Stolen Country of Mine follows Paúl Jarrín Mosquera, who leads the indigenous resistance against the exploitation of their land. Meanwhile, China uses the Ecuadorian government to turn the country into one of its new colonies, having made the country dependent on credit through a series of corrupt and greedy treaties. When journalist Fernando Villavicencio exposes these plots and gets access to the contracts between China and Ecuador, the government wants him silenced too. Both men are fighting for freedom in this battle against a superpower.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Marc Wiese, the film exposes China’s massive hunger for natural resources and how it has been aggressively operating to obtain access to these resources in Ecuador during the last decade. The country is now stuck with the most Chinese debts in Latin America.
* Spanish language audio description is available via the ALL4ACCESS App and/or .wav file when purchasing a DSL license.
Accessibility for these films was created by DICAPTA and funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education- Office of Special Education-OSEP, project “Enhanced Access to Video for Students with Sensory Disabilities through Emerging Technology,” TV Access H327C210001.
Reviews
"Using a combination of interviews, archive and heart-stopping frontline filmmaking, Marc Wiese follows the twin-pronged civil assault against the plundering of Ecuador, through the reporting of the dogged Villavicencio and through grass roots rebellions by the communities whose lands are being appropriated."
— Wendy Ede, Screendaily
“Elegantly made and with an evocative soundtrack by Alva Noto, This Stolen Country of Mine is a strikingly dramatic documentary about the consequences of globalisation and when a population rises up and protests.” – Mark Adams, Cineuropa
“A well-built and electrifying documentary about two heroes fighting against their corrupt government, who have brokered several disadvantageous loan deals with China. (...) Even though the film’s heroes face powerful opposition, the director creates a dynamic feeling that the forces of light will prevail in the end.” – Astra Zoldnere, Modern Times Review
Citation
Main credits
Wiese, Marc (film director)
Stoltz, Oliver (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Wolfgang Held; editing, Marc Schubert; music, Alva Noto.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Activism
Anthropology
Communication + Journalism
Economics + Social Class Issues
Environment + Sustainability
Indigenous Peoples
International Relations
Labor Studies
Latin American Studies
Political Science
Sociology
South America
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
CPH:DOX - F:ACT AWARD Competition; DOK.fest München - DOK.Panorama; DocAviv - Beyond the Screen Competition; Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival - Special Mention; DocsMX - Winner - Our America Competition; Winner German Documentary Film Music
DIRECTOR: Marc Wiese
NATIONALITY: Germany, Ecuador
YEAR: 2022
GENRE: Documentary
LANGUAGE: Spanish; Indigenous languages
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: AVAILABLE
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