06/09/2021 - VENICE 2021: The Italian director unpicks his black-and-white social drama that follows a young man willing to sacrifice his life in a gold mine in Peru

(© Settimana Internazionale della Critica di Venezia)

Mother Lode [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Tortone
film profile] by Italian director Matteo Tortone is premiering at the Venice Film Festival, in the International Film Critics’ Week. The film follows a young man willing to sacrifice his life in a gold mine in Peru in order to support his family. We talked to the director about the concept of the film and the production conditions.

Cineuropa: How did the idea for the film come to you?
Matteo Tortone: In 2010, I spent three days in Tanzania and did some shooting in a mine. I was confronted with the economic dynamics involved and their financial repercussions on Europe. I was interested in looking into it more deeply, to show the consequences it has on humans. Gold gives a certain value to a human's life, and I felt there was a metaphysical dimension to it. There are a lot of stories linked to gold – tales about how to get rich quickly, or about superstition. I searched for years to find a story and a place that would be suitable to enable me to talk about it. When I heard about La Rinconada, I was fascinated by its landscape, which brings to mind that of the Moon. It’s a place at the edge of the world, and on an aesthetic level, it was just perfect for expressing the link between the present and eternity.

How did you do your research?
It was a long journey. Once we knew we wanted to shoot in La Rinconada, we searched for people who could help create the story. There was an Italian friend of mine who had worked for an NGO in Peru, for example, and who knew the culture. Moreover, we had a cultural mediator who started to create bonds and important relationships with everyone in Peru in 2016. I went to Peru that year to familiarise myself with it, and then met the family with whom we worked on the film. It was important for me to learn as much as I could about the qualities and dimensions of that world.

How did you find your protagonists?
Everyone is a non-professional actor. When I went to Peru in 2016, I made the same trip as I wanted to make in the film so as to get to know everything and everyone. It was then that we also met José, who plays the main role, and he accompanied us. We did some shooting already, so that he could establish a relationship with the camera. We saw that he was very talented; he had a clear vision about how to play the character and what he wanted to convey with the film. We developed the character together and achieved an intense understanding of each other.

Was it clear from the start that the film would be in black and white?
Yes, it was part of the concept for the film. As soon as I knew that the story would be set in Peru, I wanted to limit the exotic vision we normally have of the country. The intent of the movie is a broader and more universal one. Moreover, you’re not able to make out gold in black-and-white pictures. This made it possible to give the story an additional level. If you can't make out gold, the work the people are doing is just work and recalls the phenomenon of Sisyphus. It’s part of a vicious circle. Also because the money never actually leaves this place: the men spend it mostly on alcohol or prostitution. As soon as they earn some, they lose it again. Most of them are young and easily manipulated.

How did you develop the visual concept?
The aesthetic structure is actually something that was formed over the course of my last few works. I wanted to have a proximity to the characters but also allow a certain distance from the subject. We had to adapt to the conditions on the ground and didn’t have many means, but we always tried to maintain a strict concept.

Was it difficult to get the necessary permission to shoot?
It was necessary to build up relationships and to gain the trust of everyone. To get permission was difficult, since the mines belong to private entrepreneurs, and there are several of them. It took us years.

La Rinconada is a special place. There are mostly men there, and alcohol seems to be a big problem for them.
The place is very dangerous. There is a main tunnel, but there are also secondary ones, which are not necessarily well known. There is a situation there that is similar to that of the Far West. There are thieves and police officers, and hold-ups and assaults happen often. The streets are dangerous as well – twice a week, there’s an accident. That’s what you see there. But there are also fantastic people who almost adopted us while we were there. You feel that there is a lot of loneliness in La Rinconada, and people are ready to make a lot of sacrifices for their loved ones. The precarious nature of life is very present at all times. La Rinconada is an international place, where people of different origins meet. Friendships, however, are not really possible, since it's mainly a professional situation, and you can't ever fully trust someone in these conditions where financial interests prevail.