La buena vida - The Good Life

While coal mines in Germany and other European countries are slowly being shut down, coal mining continues apace in Colombia. This documentary tells the story of the Colombian village of Tamaquito, told against the backdrop of rising global energy consumption fueled by the drive for growth and prosperity.

Jairo Fuentes, the young leader of the indigenous Wayúu community of Tamaquito, lives in the forests of northern Colombia. Until now, nature has given people here everything they need to live. But the El Cerrejón mine, which extends for 700 square kilometers and is the world's largest open-cast coal mine, is getting closer to Tamaquito every day. Its coal is exported all over the world. Coal-fired plants in Germany, the Netherlands and Britain produce the electricity that helps power their prosperity. Jairo Fuentes is determined to prevent the forced displacement of his community that has already destroyed other villages. He began to negotiate with the mine operators, who are backed by powerful international commodity companies such as Glencore, Anglo American and BHP Billiton. The renowned documentary filmmaker Jens Schanze portrays an indigenous village community determined to stand up to the coal companies' dictates. This award-winning film recounts the resistance of the village community, its ultimate displacement, and the companies' unfulfilled promises of a new "modern" life.