In the shadow of the mine
"In the shadow of the mine" is a creative documentary project co-directed by Ana Bovino, an Argentine filmmaker, and Doris Buu-Sao, a French political scientist. This feature film combines ethnography and cinema to produce a critical understanding of extractive industries and their interplay with care work. It focuses specifically on the experiences of Latin American women who came to work as domestic helpers near a historic copper mine in Andalusia.
The film aims to make visible, tangible, and perceptible the connections between the economies of extraction and care. It seeks to offer a unique perspective on global capitalism and its hold over human lives and the biophysical world they inhabit. In resonance with ecofeminist theories, the documentary project invites viewers to think about extractive activities and their environmental impact in relation to the exploitation of both men’s and women’s labor.
By paying close attention to bodies worn down by repetitive tasks and the toxic particles they are exposed to—both in the mine and in homes—the film sheds light on the multiple layers of exploitation at the heart of the ecological crisis.
Coordinator
Doris Buu-Sao is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Lille.
Artist
Ana Bovino is an Argentine filmmaker whose artistic journey is marked by her exploration of contemporary social realities through cinema.
