A Child Miner In Jail
The continuing story of Bolivian child miners Alex and Jorge, now facing desperate times in their teens.
Filmmaker: Rodrigo Vazquez
We continue to follow the lives of Jorge and Alex who we first met six years ago working in a tin mine in Bolivia.
Jorge managed to escape the mine, got himself educated and trained in the military. Now he is a policeman in nearby Huanuni, where his challenge is to try and stem the growing violent crime, much of which comes from young miners high on drugs and alcohol.
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Meanwhile, despite Jorge’s efforts to help him leave, Alex continues to work in the mine due to his family’s grinding poverty despite the fact that he is likely to develop silicosis of the lung.
We pick up the story of both of them – now in their teens – when Jorge hears that Alex has been charged with murder and is in jail, potentially facing a long sentence. Jorge feels compelled to try and help his friend.
The film unfolds as Jorge unpicks the story of Alex’s arrest, raising questions about the justice he will receive. It also deals with Jorge’s dilemma as to how to help Alex without compromising his work as a policeman.
This tender story of two young men is set against a backdrop of poverty and all that it brings to young lives as they both hit a pivotal moment in their lives.
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A Child Miner In Jail can be seen from Monday, September 17, at the following times GMT: Monday: 2230; Tuesday: 0930; Wednesday: 0330; Thursday: 1630. Watch more Witness films for global issues brought into focus through courageous and inspiring human stories. |
