PRODUCTION: ARTE
COUNTRY: France
YEAR: 2022
LENGTH: 24′
MADE BY: Sophie Bontemps

They live in the black lung of South Africa, a coal and poverty wasteland of dozens of abandoned mines, a two-hour drive from Pretoria.

Braving danger in search of a way to feed their families, the Zama Zama descend into the old coal mines, abandoned years ago by the companies.

There is no oxygen underground and breathing is difficult. These men, using rudimentary pickaxes and no protection, dig out what remains of the mining ore. In an attempt to earn enough to survive, they carry a tonne of coal on their backs every day.

In the Zulu language, Zama Zama means “those who try and try again”.

The documentary is the story of these miners, trapped in one of the most polluted regions in the world, inhaling massive amounts of nitrogen and sulphur. In one of the most extreme moments of the climate crisis, South Africa continues to generate 86% of its electricity from coal.