Well-made and very, very sad.

This is the saddest and most gut wrenching, eye opening Documentary I've ever seen.

3 out of 4 films in Rotten Tomatoes' 100 music and performing artys films list haven't had music or musicians as their subjects, but I'm not complaining. This was another good documentary.

It's good, but we knew about most of this going in.

If you prefer your documentaries make you cry and feel hopeless then this is for you! 800 kids work in mines that have claimed 8 million lives for about $3 a day and then die at 35 from the dust in their lungs. Bummer antidote to My Sweet 16 or Teen Cribs.

Hard to see children having to work at all, let along in such harsh conditions just to feed themselves and their families. Very very heartbreaking. I think if Adults and Children from developed countries saw this, they make think differently about how ridiculously easy we all have it and how spoiled we truly are. Really reminds one how blessed we really are!

vean la realidad!!!!

<div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/dm-1-12464336"><img src="http://content6.flixster.com/photo/12/46/43/12464336_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"></a></div></div> <div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/dm-15-12464342"><img src="http://content8.flixster.com/photo/12/46/43/12464342_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"></a> </div></div> <div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/dm-3-12464347"><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/12/46/43/12464347_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"></a> </div></div> <div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/dm-2-12464343"><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/12/46/43/12464343_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"></a> </div></div> <div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/dm-4-12464350"><img src="http://content8.flixster.com/photo/12/46/43/12464350_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"><I>The Devil's Miner</I></a> </div></div> <I>The Devil's Miner</I> (2004) Directed and Produced by Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani. <I>The Devil's Miner</I> is about Basilio Vargas, a bright, ambitious boy who is curious about the world and sees the value of an education, but is trapped in a dangerous and deplorable third world quagmire. Fatherless, Basilio must work in the notorious Serra Rico silver mines of Bolivia to finance an existence for himself. Over 8 million people have died in the mines since they were established 450 years ago. That comes out to almost eighteen thousand deaths a year. The mines are mostly depleted of minerals, long abandoned by the companies that once ran them. They are now owned and operated by a local workers cooperative. The miners lack the resources to excavate safely using modern equipment. Their work environment holds a plethora of fatal hazards. The miners know with certainty that they will be dead by age 40 from silicosis, if they are not killed in gruesome accidents first. Despite this, many have chosen to sacrifice themselves in order to support their families, having no other viable options in the ruined local economy. Basilio chews coca to stay awake during the lengthy 12 to 16 hour shifts. Working many hundreds of feet underground he must employ constant vigilance to avoid a multitude of dangers such as cave-ins, untimely explosions, falls, becoming lost and many other appalling work related hazards. He goes to school as much as possible, where he has to conceal the nature of his employment to avoid social rejection. He contributes what wages he can to assist his mother and siblings. The mines are so inconceivably primitive and dangerous that it becomes a symptom of human nature that even an ordinarily rational person is compelled to total fatalism. The miners adhere to the perceived need to make a variety of material offerings and ritual sacrifices to the Devil which they believe inhabits the mines and controls their destinies. The devil persona it turns out, is one created by the Spanish Crown and perpetuated by foreign mining companies to trick the workers into accepting terrible conditions. They were forced to spend six months at a stretch underground working ever harder in twenty hour shifts with only four hours of rest in between, for an insultingly low wage. Although the current miners understand the origins of the devil myth and the mining companies are now long gone, the hopelessness and sheer horror of their situation ensures their continued belief in the threatening entity. Basilio's working conditions, home life on the mining site, and his community life are objectively documented. The film takes no position, but instead presents the awful facts which speak for themselves. The story is subtitled and told in via Basilio's own recorded voice as his compiled responses comprise a striking monologue describing his experiences. There is extensive, spectacular footage of the bowels of the mines and stark, local geography which paint a depressing and utterly bleak portrait of despair and hopelessness. The picture that is presented of the local dilemma is so dire as to make anyone feel fortunate to lead a monotonous, humdrum, workaday existence in the first world. This is a first rate documentary. It is one entry in a multitude of recent, compelling films that comprise a rebirth of the genre, all of which spur deep thought, reveal disturbing facts, and take no position in order to let the viewer make up his or her own mind.

Wondering about childrens labor regulations in Bolivia, this documentary opens the door of the miner´s children lifes and beliefs. As and add it is pretty interesting how a tradition and old religions had melted with the catholicism during the spanish rule and had continued up to now. A very hopeful story, a very hard broken. Plus i am amaze about the none sense of the speach and work of the catholic priest!!![img]http://images.chrc4work.com/images/user/smilies/confused.gif[/img]

Please watch this documentary. I think it is an excellent glimpse into the reality of how many in the world live. For me this goes up with El Norte in films about Latin America I am making my kids watch and I think every one should watch before graduating highschool

This film is exceptional in every way. I saw it at a grass-roots political film festival (that we crashed) - at a former commune .... :0) and it was mind-blowing and heartbreaking. You must see this!

A sensitive and sad portrait of children working in absolutely inhumane conditions, all the while knowing that they probably won't live to see age 40. Depressing and enlightening.

Pretty remarkable. Not as depressing as you might think. Gripping in it's own way.

A really sweet, beautiful, but heartbreaking film. It's amazing how much we really take for granted in the U.S. and how privileged we are. The good thing about this DVD is that the extras give you follow up info on the boys and resources so you can help.

I recommend this documentary to anyone interested in coming to Bolivia or learning more about Bolivian culture. It's definitely not the feel-good movie of the year.

I really did not like it. Too repetitive I do not know if it really showed anything new or if it was again the cliches of the miners in Bolivia. Maybe nicer for tourists.

I'm not sure what to say about it. My sister didn't like it much so she fast forwarded through most of the second half. I don't know that I can call it a bad movie, it just didn't offer much more than: Poor 14 year old kid who has to work in a mine and underground worship the devil because it is his territory beneath the ground. Basically I felt guilty and somewhat bored. I don't think I gave the movie a good enough chance but I don't think it was great. I probably sound pretty heartless saying it was boring. Perhaps someday I will have to give it a proper chance. Honestly, it isn't that I don't feel horrible for children who have to work in a horrible and dangerous place, I just don't need 82 minutes of guilt and sympathy and admiration for poor kids to know that the world really sucks for a lot of people. But, like I said, I didn't really get to see it all so the ending might have had something great to it but I don't think I will ever actually go back and finish it and find out. Maybe I could sum it up by saying that there wasn't anything really great or unique about the documentary but the subject matter was kind of interesting and certainly the story of children laboring in dangerous mines is heartbreaking.

A great movie showing what mining is really like. See how people in other parts of the world sacrifice just to survive

This documentary was gripping. It tells the story of two young brothers (14 and 12) who work together in a silver mine in Bolivia. I was shocked to see the long hours they work and the pain both physically and mentally they go through each day. What I found very interesting is that these children see going to school as an opportunity to better their lives and leave the mines. They see it as an honor to attend school. I wish the children here felt the same

If you?re in the mood for an eye opening documentary? this will do the trick. I was captivated throughout the entire movie; following these children who must work in the mines of Bolivia is both heart wrenching and inspiring at the same time. Any parents out there who have children complaining about homework or school, should show their kids this film? seeing young Basilio work a 14-24 hour shift in the mines, then still have the energy to somehow go to school the next morning is an eye opener. The family that this film follows was so fascinating to me? the children at a young age are wise way beyond their years and show the kind of determination and commitment to family that is getting more and more rare here in America. Immersing yourself in this film will also help you to realize that even the poorest burger flipping minimum wage worker here in America lives like a pampered king; compared to these individuals. There is also the spiritual side of the film which I found fascinating. The miners are God fearing individuals when living outside the mine, but once they enter the mines they pray and worship the devil because they believe the devil is God in the mines. Wow. I?m giving this one my ?must see? stamp, and if you?re a documentary fan like I am, this is a no brainer.