Belgium 2022, 52/58/3x24 min, HDA Not So Crazy! Production
by Erika Gonzalez Ramirez, Matthieu Lietaert
The Illusion of Abundance
Three women share a common goal: Carolina, Bertha and Maxima are leading today's fight against modern conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations, trapped in a global race towards unlimited growth, need to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk?When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?
"Colonialism is not over!", said the environmental defenders Berta Caceres a few months before being murdered at her home. Every year 200 defenders are being killed worldwide. Two out of three in Latin America alone.
German giant Tüv Süd is now being sued by victims' families from Brazil. Dutch development bank FMO is under legal attack by indigenous small farmers from Honduras. Newmont, the world’s biggest gold mining company, might be brought to Court in the US by a woman from Peru for a land dispute.
After 50 years, globalisation is getting nationalised as transnational corporations are being sued by citizens from the other side of the planet. But judges and politicians are not so keen to give a green light to these trials at home.
THE ILLUSION OF ABUNDANCE is not only a film about those who pay the high price of ‘development’, it is above all a film about the globalization of Carolina, Bertha and Maxima’s environmental resistance and their conviction to hunt down transnational corporations, wherever they hide.
The film's CO2 emissions have been offset and certified by the German NGO Klima Kollekte.
Cologne, FIFDH, Human Rights Zurich, Vienna, Venezuela, Colorado Enviromental, One World Prague, Censurados, Yale Enviromental, World of Women, MujerDoc (Special Mention), Millenium Doc (Winner), One World Brussels (Winner), Portland Environmental (Winner), Bulgaria (Special Mention), Amnesty International Award (Best Human Rights Film), Puerto Rico (Best Feature Doc), Silbersalz Science and Media Award (Nom. for Homeland Earth Award), Bolivia, Romania, Colombia, Argentina, USA South Texas, USA Oregon Eugene Environmental, USA Arizona Nativision, Ethnokino Switzerland, Azerbaidjan, Estonia, HRFF Lugano, Tierra di Tutti Italy (Winner), Human Rights Film Festival Berlin, Festival Cine Invisible Spain (Special mention), Finalists Silbersalz Awards Germany, Innsbruck Nature Film Festival Austria, 30th SunCine Spain, African Human Rights FF (Winner), Golden Beggar Slovakia (Winner), Puerto Rico (Winner), Villa del Cine Colombia (Winner), Màlaga, Chennai, Phoenix (Winner Best Documentary), Vaasa Wildlife (Winner Best TV Doc)
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