A co-production of franC doc films and the National Film Board of Canada

Ten years after Canada’s largest open-pit gold mine began operations in Malartic, has the promised economic miracle turned out to be merely a mirage? Having previously documented the local community’s hopes for prosperity in The Golden Rule (2010), filmmaker Nicolas Paquet returns to this town in Quebec’s Abitibi region to explore the glaring contrast between its decline and the staggering wealth of its new “tenant.” Blending macro analysis with personal accounts, he reveals broken promises and the mechanisms of a disturbingly opaque system. Part long-term anthropological study, part investigation into the corridors of power, Malartic scrutinizes a web of links between private corporations, public authorities and the judiciary, a decision-making space in which ordinary people have little say. This documentary about legal failings and democratic deficit addresses the fundamental issue of sustainable and fair management of land and resources.

One-liner
Chronicling the broken promises of a gold-mining megaproject, Malartic takes a deep dive into the corridors of power, addressing the fundamental issue of land management.

Two-liner
Ten years after an enormous open-pit gold mine began operations in Malartic, the hoped-for economic miracle is nothing more than a mirage. Filmmaker Nicolas Paquet explores the glaring contrast between the town’s decline and the wealth of the mining company, along with the mechanisms of an opaque decision-making system in which ordinary people have little say. Part anthropological study, part investigation into the corridors of power, Malartic addresses the fundamental issue of sustainable and fair land management.

Ten years after Canada’s largest open-pit gold mine began operations in the heart of Malartic, has the town been revitalized as promised, or was the hoped-for economic miracle nothing more than a mirage?

After surveying the upheavals suffered by the community of Malartic in The Golden Rule (2010), director Nicolas Paquet returns to the site of his debut feature-length documentary, as the mining company prepares to double the size of the pit. In the late 2000s, most of the approximately 3,000 residents of this former mining town in Quebec’s Abitibi region had enthusiastically welcomed the megaproject, believing that it heralded jobs, a demographic boom and eventual prosperity. Hopes of renewed community pride outweighed concerns over social and environmental repercussions and the complete disappearance of the town’s south side. Now, Paquet has broadened his perspective, underlining the glaring contrast between the town’s decline and the staggering wealth of its imposing “tenant,” and revealing not only broken promises but also the mechanisms of a disturbingly opaque system. He blends macro analysis with highly personal accounts, chronicling the experiences of people on the ground and following the money trail, in the process questioning the role of organizations responsible for safeguarding the environment and public health.

Part anthropological study, part investigation into the corridors of power, Malartic scrutinizes a web of links between private corporations, public authorities and the judiciary, a complex decision-making space in which ordinary people barely have any say. The outcome of a long process, the film shows how communities abandoned by the institutions that supposedly represent them are now forced to defend themselves, and are paying a price: painful social divisions and waning confidence in government. Malartic is a much-needed exposé of legal failings and democratic deficit, addressing the fundamental issue of sustainable and fair management of land and resources.

Contact NFB publicist for high-resolution poster for print.

Contact NFB Publicist for high-resolution images for print.