Marmato : A Modern-Day David vs Goliath Story in the Heart of Colombia
Still from 'Marmato' directed by Mark GriecoKarolina Abbas
Being a person who is both enthusiastic about environmental issues of the world as well as being a Colombian national, it made me very eager to write about this poignant and award-winning documentary with a strong message. I felt myself watching a story that might have been written by Gabriel García Márquez the famous Colombian writer. Surrounded by lush green mountains, Marmato, the 500-year-old historic mining city, situated in the Colombian department of Caldas, is a village with a big secret that has now been revealed to the world. It lies over one of the biggest gold deposits on Earth and has therefore attracted world attention, in particular that of one of the biggest mining companies on the globe.
The documentary chronicles the relentless fight that the inhabitants of this village they are waging against a corporate giant that is threatening their livelihood. The men in town have been miners for generations, and all of a sudden a big Canadian corporation is threatening their only source of income. With his camera director Mark Grieco is able to give a voice to those who have fought back in the only way they could to get their message across to the world.
Marmato is a very human and compelling story of survival that should not be missed.