A $5,000 grant is awarded to a Burkinabe filmmaker, Michel K. Zongo, for his project No Gold for Kalsaka

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Twenty years ago, the government of Burkina Faso granted licences to several multinational gold mining companies. It was the start of a boom, a true goldrush. The first open-cast mine began production in 2006, at the small town of Kalsaka. The plan was to take out 18 tonnes of gold over ten years. But the shine soon came off the project, and after six years, the company closed its doors, leaving behind an environmental and social disaster.

This is what filmmaker Michel Zongo will lay bare as he follows Jean-Baptiste, a civil society activist, his entry point into Kalsaka and the reality of its 3000 inhabitants. Born in Kalsaka, Jean-Baptiste has watched the catastrophe play out before his eyes. The film reveals the determination and courage of men and women fighting for their rights and, above all, their dignity.