Wednesday 12 September: Documentary Eldorado in Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam

A feature documentary about environmental destruction and human rights abuses at Europe’s largest mining project.

‘ELDORADO — The Struggle For Skouries(opens in new window) ‘ is a documentary film about the civic struggle against destructive resource extractionism at Europe’s largest mining project located in Halkidiki, Northern Greece. Chronicling the resistance against high-risk gold mining and the abusive criminalization of the anti-mining movement by the Greek government, it is a compelling document of neoliberal ideals and human rights abuses playing out in one of the most crisis-ridden countries of Europe. The documentary is partly based on SOMO report ‘Fool’s Gold’.

Fool’s gold

After the movie we will discuss this and other examples of (local) resistance against big infrastructural or energy projects where state-corporate interests are intertwined, violating socio-economic rights and blocking a just energy transition.

We’ll discuss the growing trend towards state-corporate collusion, such as the destruction of the organic Boterbloem farmland by the Schiphol Area Development Company (SADC) in the Lutkemeerpolder and gas extraction in Groningen. How can local resistance be strengthened with solidarity from civil society, from climate action groups to ordinary citizens? How can local communities create internal solidarity and cohesion in their resistance?

The screening in Pakhuis de Zwijger(opens in new window) is a cooperation with Movies that Matter(opens in new window) . Our guests are Leopold Helbich and Wasil Schauseil, Trudy Aleven (Groningen), Alies Fernhout (De Boterbloem(opens in new window) ) and Rhodante Ahlers (SOMO).