“A study in courage ...an unforgettable journey through hell under the earth, where Satan is worshipped as king. Straight-as-an-arrow filmmaking raises this docu above the crowd...exceptionally beautiful.” –Variety
“The world so beautifully photographed in “The Devil’s Miner” – with its festivals, folkloric dances and folk art devils – seems conjured from the magic realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, except for the unbelievably harsh odds facing the boy miners who narrate the tale” –L.A. Times
**Nominated for the
2005 Director's Guild of America Award for Outstanding
Directorial Achievement in Documentary**
**WINNER Hot Docs Film Festival - FIPRESCI Award**
**WINNER Chicago Film Festival - Best Documentary –
Silver Hugo**
**WINNER Woodstock Film Festival - Best Documentary**
**WINNER San Diego Latino Film Festival - Best Documentary**
Two brothers, 14-year-old Basilio and 12-year-old Bernardino,
work deep inside the silver mines of Cerro Rico, Bolivia.
In the mines, which date back to the sixteenth century,
it is said the devil determines the fate of those who enter.
The devil is everywhere, watching - carved statues
called "Tios" are scattered throughout the tunnels,
and the miners, including the young brothers, bring offerings
to them daily.
Raised without a father and living in virtual poverty with
their family on the slopes of the mine, Basilio and his
brother must work to help support their family and afford
supplies vital to their education. As we come to know them,
we see their fears and hopes for their future, and occasionally
glimpse childlike souls peeking through their stoic faces.
Trusting in an ancient belief that the devil determines
the fate of all those who work in the mines, Basilio believes
only the mountain devil's generosity will allow them to
earn enough money to continue the new school year - their
only chance of escaping their destiny in the silver mines.
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