Synopsis: “Black Water Green Gold” is a feature length documentary about an indigenous community fighting to save Lake Patzcuaro in Central Mexico. Their traditional lifestyle is threatened by the effects of globalized economy and climate change. The documentary film follows the story of three individuals living around Lake Pátzcuaro. Carlos, Santiago and Tona. In the course of the movie the protagonists share their views on the situation at the lake. Their voices narrate the crisis that they and their communities are experiencing; the decline in water levels, ongoing wildfires and the insecurity haunting the region. The communities are connected by their Purépecha – heritage, the name of the indigenous group and language originating around the lake. Carlos represents the economic reality and youth of the community, balancing his love for his traditional way of life as a fisherman with his responsibilities to provide for his young family. Santiago represents the fight for independence and ecology, as he fights for the autonomy of his community and the protection of the lake. Tona embodies the cultural traditions of the lake, around the “Day of the Dead”. On a higher level the documentary shows an emotional and personal perspective of what it means to live in a region that has to sacrifice its environment to provide goods to the globalized market. The weight of the desperate situation however doesn’t stop the community from fighting for their lake, traditions and future.
Submitter Statement: The director’s vision is to give a voice to the people of the region that face the environmental impacts of pollution. The film is meant to show real people as close as possible to build a connection while having in mind that the topics touched are global phenomenon that affect the lives of all of us. Axel’s mother originates in Uruapan, the capital of the Mexican avocado industry and one of two large cities around the lake. He learnt Purépecha 4 years ago while working on a story about the indigenous community in Cheran. He also made a story about the avocado plantations for the German newspaper “GEO” while producing the documentary. The movie could be understood as a sequel to previous stories published by him. Additionally it is also a unique story of much larger scope produced by a young creative team. The relationship with the protagonists is like a friendship since Axel joined the protagonists on any occasion. He even got his Purépecha nickname “Chakins” due to his curly hair. One of the protagonists even named his newborn son “Axel” after our director. Journalism can be a dangerous profession in Mexico. We believe that we are privileged in our role as half-germans and half-mexicans, since more intense questions and investigations are less likely to be stopped. This is also a reason we felt the call to take on these topics because we see less dangers in covering them as we have another “life” on another continent.
Director: Axel Javier Sulzbacher
Producer: Felipe Angeles Hamann, Nico Gerspacher, Kai Kraus
Country of Origin: Germany
Country of Filming: Mexico
Language: Spanish
Subtitles:
Runtime: 01:22:31
Project Website: http://blackwatergreengold.com
