Materia Prima – New Energy. Old Powers?

A multifaceted documentary about global responsibility, economic interests, and the question of what price we are willing to pay for a sustainable future.

Lithium is one of the most important raw materials of our time. It is used in electric cars, smartphones, and battery storage systems, and is considered essential to the energy transition. But where does this coveted metal come from, and who bears the consequences of its extraction? MATERIA PRIMA takes us to the highlands of Bolivia, home to some of the world’s largest lithium deposits. While European companies and politicians see the resource as key to advancing the green transition, local communities hope it will bring economic development and a better life. At the same time, resistance is growing over the social and environmental consequences of the planned mining projects.

Through striking images and a range of perspectives, director Jens Schanze tells the stories of people whose lives are directly connected to the extraction of this “white gold.”