the corporations taketh away: The curse of rich soil The earth giveth

Once upon a time, there was a family. A poor family which did not have much. However, they managed to get on with their lives and weren’t even unhappy. A stroke of luck was not far away. They did not find a golden fish to grant them three wishes, but a big supply of oil right under their house. Local representatives came, the ministry was interested, and more importantly the corporations were interested. The supply was estimated at a high price, but the family did not know that they were the ones who were going to pay the costs. To cut a long story short, due to bureaucratic processes and their unawareness of law, they did not see one penny from the oil, and what’s more they lost their precious home. As the saying goes, not all that glitters is gold.

Every now and then we hear about the repression of the rights of ordinary people whose needs go against the interests of big corporations. But what can we do about this? As illustrated in the example above, we cannot do anything when we are not concerned. Well, there is a rightful reason to be concerned, and some filmmakers dedicate their time and means to bringing these issues to the public and showing that, whether we are aware of it or not, we are part of this unlucky process.

We consume mass-produced goods daily, although we don’t ask many questions about their origins. In Roots – The son of the coffee farmer returns home, filmmakers Bussard, Weigl, Janoška and Manga prove that one cup of coffee has a deeper cost. We are led on an investigation: where the coffee comes from - not only its whereabouts, but more importantly how poor farmers are exploited by bigger companies in order to buy for cheap. The producers are forced to submit because of the socio-political and economic situation. Aside from the pathos and sentiment felt when witnessing exploited, half-naked farmers, the statement is clear: the economy does not work in a fair way. The sad truth about capitalism is that money equals power, and in this case, the growers have neither.

A similar problem is dealt with in the documentary by Frank Poulsen about a mineral element used in mobile phone components. The horrifically titled Blood in the Mobile suggests that all mobile phone users participate in the exploitation of poor miners. It’s a dreadful image: watching minors digging for minerals 100 metres underground in inhumane conditions is enough to contemplate, but the intervention of armed forces around the mines and the imposition of ridiculous taxes are unthinkable. Yet, despite companies claiming their corporate responsibility, they do pretend not to know where their components are coming from and we remain in the dark.

Both films, as well as others such as The Pipe and Copper Age, show us that the price we pay in a shop is not final. The mass production of everyday goods is a far-reaching process and at its starting point there are aspects that we usually have no idea about. Although now after watching several of these films we understand that in the beginning, there is soil: a rich soil, full of useful components - until the corporations arrive. The dream for a decent life is shattered, as in the tale of the poor family’s oil discovery. Now we possess both views: that of the manufacturer who sells us goods, and that of the frontline producer who prepares the necessary materials for these goods.

The filmmakers illuminate us. There are people exploited in the production processes of consumer goods, just because they were born in the wrong place. It’s a big tax to pay for a decision they did not make themselves. Even if The Pipe shows us that there are struggles still worth fighting, people dependent on their soil usually cannot afford such a luxury. However, consumers can afford the luxury of choosing their products. But will they do it when the price is the effort of investigating their origins?

That’s why every product should have its own documentary.

By Martin Kudláč