Benoit Ouellet

In a secluded cabin surrounded by untrodden snow, a man delves into his childhood memories with his father. Nothing can disrupt this moment of introspection, not even the most dangerous threat.

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.