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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE DEVIL'S MINER
The Devil's Miner

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The Devil's Miner (2006)

92%
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92 %
Reviews Counted: 25 Fresh: 23  Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.5/10
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 82 mins
Theatrical Release: Mar 17, 2006 Limited
Synopsis:
"The Devil's Miner" is the story of 14 year-old Basilio Vargas and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the Bolivian silver mines of Cerro Rico, which date back to the sixteenth century. Through the children's eyes, we encounter the world of devout Catholic miners who sever... [More]
"The Devil's Miner" is the story of 14 year-old Basilio Vargas and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the Bolivian silver mines of Cerro Rico, which date back to the sixteenth century. Through the children's eyes, we encounter the world of devout Catholic miners who sever their ties with God upon entering the mountain. It is an ancient belief that the devil, as represented by hundreds of statues constructed in the tunnels, determines the fate of all who work within the mines. Raised without a father and living in virtual poverty with their mother on the slopes of the mine, the boys assume many adult responsibilities. They must work to afford the clothing and supplies vital to their education. Basilio believes only the mountain devil's generosity will allow them to earn enough money to continue the new school year. Without an education, the brothers have no chance to escape their destiny in the silver mines. --© Emerging Pictures [Less]

Genre: Education/General Interest

Director: Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani

DVD Info

Release:

May 23, 2006

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Keep Case

Audio:

  • (unspecified) - Spanish
  • Subtitles - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Bonus Featurette - 1. ONE YEAR LATER

Text/Photo Galleries:

  • Photo Gallery
  • Text - 1. Film Notes
  • 2. Study Guide

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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Ratings Image

This documentary which exposes the twin evils of child labor and silver mining, is a most powerful expose' of an ongoing, mass-scale human tragedy.

Full Review | Comment
06/16/07 07:19 AM
Kam Williams
San Francisco Bay View
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The flawless progress of this documentary lies in the filmmakers' unwavering fealty to their subjects.

Full Review | Comment
03/01/07 03:47 AM
Maria Garcia
Film Journal International
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | Comment
11/11/06 06:19 AM
Stuart Klawans
Nation
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A horror movie? Nope -- documentary. Though there is, I think, a good horror movie to be made here.

Full Review | Comment
10/25/06 12:26 AM
Luke Y. Thompson
LYTRules.com
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The film has a tendency to repeat itself, even within its short running time of 82 minutes, but is still able to express a sincere sorrow.

Full Review | Comment
07/06/06 02:31 PM
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies
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A mesmerizing documentary both exotic and sad.

Full Review | Comment
05/19/06 05:48 PM
Tom Keogh
Seattle Times
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It's a simple film with a direct message, but the glimpses of the surrounding social culture that has adapted to the horrors give (it) its identity.

Full Review | Comment
05/18/06 05:29 PM
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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It's a testament to the filmmakers' subtle storytelling skill that we come to see these boys as heroes as well as victims.

Full Review | Comment
05/11/06 01:37 PM
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
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This is social documentary at its best.

Full Review | Comment
04/28/06 04:11 PM
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

A role-model of a boy with the great skill to articulate his impressive determination and plan for self-improvement.

Full Review | Comment
04/28/06 04:01 PM
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
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... visually beautiful, unforced essay on legacies of colonialism.

Full Review | Comment
04/27/06 03:24 PM
Ernest Hardy
L.A. Weekly
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While political and social context is kept to a minimum, the darkly poetic images they capture speak volumes about what the miners go through.

Full Review | Comment
03/28/06 03:46 PM
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

At times it feels as if not cameras but the audience has been transported to the high mountains of Potosi, Bolivia -- and not so much physically but somehow spiritually.

Full Review | Comment
03/25/06 04:17 AM
Kim Williamson
Boxoffice Magazine
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This beautiful, terrible story is not easily forgotten.

Full Review | Comment
03/22/06 11:24 AM
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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Basilio narrates his tale with such wit and wisdom that one comes away from the film wondering how much youthful potential is slowly being choked to death deep within the bowels of the earth.

Full Review | Comment
03/17/06 04:32 PM
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide
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Guaranteed to leave you outraged at the way children -- and, for that matter, adults -- are exploited by mining companies.

Full Review | Comment
03/17/06 04:25 PM
V.A. Musetto
New York Post
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Directors Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani go underground themselves to expose a form of near-slavery instituted by the Spanish conquistadors more than four centuries ago.

Full Review | Comment
03/16/06 06:38 PM
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani's documentary The Devil's Miner is so polished that it might pass for a scripted narrative feature, but that's not a bad thing.

Full Review | Comment
03/15/06 11:28 AM
Tasha Robinson
Onion AV Club
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A sobering day trip, more for its hints of a forgotten history of culture collision than its sensible but rote socioeconomic sympathies.

Full Review | Comment
03/14/06 04:06 PM
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

A study in courage and harrowing portrait of a 14-year-old boy who works in a Bolivian silver mine, The Devil's Miner is an unforgettable journey through hell under the earth, where Satan is worshipped as king.

Full Review | Comment
03/10/06 05:43 PM
Deborah Young
Variety
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Related Forums

Darko, Donnie
(Docu)-THE DEVIL'S MINER gets a dual USA opening in NYC & Chicago on March 17, 2006!!
by: Darko, Donnie 7/14/06
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