ELDORADO XXI

At around 5,100 metres above sea level, La Rinconada in Peru is the highest town in the world. With no electricity or running water, miners live and work here in freezing cold and precarious conditions, hoping to find gold and a better life. Women are not allowed to enter the mines; as ‘pallaqueras’ they search for gold on the surface. Salomé Lamas captures this hostile 21st century El Dorado in beautifully composed, long and rigid shots. In a highly unconventional scene, we hear a soundscape consisting of piercing radio spots and stories told by residents.