Synopsis

An energy transition is essential to address the climate crisis. However, the model being promoted by the main economic powers focuses, to a large extent, on replacing combustion vehicles with private electric cars, a transformation that requires large quantities of minerals extracted mainly from West African countries, such as Guinea Conakry and Senegal.

Guinea Conakry is the world's leading producer of bauxite, an essential mineral for manufacturing the aluminum used to build airplanes and electric vehicles, and Spain is its main European importer. Senegal, for its part, has gold reserves, a material present in various components of electric motors.

Despite this mineral wealth, both countries are among the most impoverished in the world and continue to suffer the consequences of a present and historical model of plundering their resources. Thus, intensive mining associated with the green transition generates serious social and environmental impacts on local communities and perpetuates unequal relationships between the Global North and South.

Through the testimony of affected people, the documentary invites us to question a transition model that externalizes its impacts and to imagine fairer alternatives.

Technical Sheet

Genre: documentary
Duration: 24.45min
Original language: Catalan, French and Fula
Subtitles: Catalan
Recorded in: Senegal and Guinea Conakry (August 2025)

A documentary by: Núria Vilà Coma, Jaume Portell Caño and SETEM Catalunya.
Original idea, script and translations: Jaume Portell Caño
Direction, camera and editing: Núria Vilà Coma

Music: TOONE and Aurora Zevanya from Pixabay
Graphics: Luna Yera Vellsolà, Chen Jiang Ke and Paula de la Piedra Hernández