The Brutal Beauty of Mother Lode
"Listen, this is not just a single story — there are many..." says the narrator, in a soft yet authoritative voice of one who knows. He’s warning the viewer — or is it the protagonist? Likely both, because the story we’re about to witness transcends the mountains of Peru. It is a universal story.
This mysterious narrator — possibly the voice of our collective unconscious — paired with stark, masterful black-and-white imagery, creates a world where reality and myth are indistinguishable. “Mother Lode is a fable,” explains director Matteo Tortone in an interview with Daily Movies (Switzerland).
The film follows a young taxi driver in Lima whose mototaxi breaks down, prompting him to try his luck in La Rinconada — the highest and most dangerous Andean gold mine in Peru. The odds are stacked against him. The game is rigged, as if a devil were pulling the strings. This is the story of workers everywhere, caught under the crushing machinery of unrestrained capitalism and the false promise of fortune.
I was stunned to learn this film was shot on a Sony A7SII — not a $100K Arri rig. The cinematography is exquisite. The writing, editing, and structure are exceptional. This is no ordinary documentary. It’s a film of rare clarity and conviction — grounded in reality, yet free to do what great cinema must: tell its truth, artfully.
Available on Amazon Prime.
