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The documentary tells of corruption, environmental pollution, fish poisoned with mercury
and gold miners who, seven years after the start of the gold rush, can hardly find any precious metal.
The images depict relentless exploitation of nature, lunar crater landscapes flooded with dirty water
and men who risk their health for a few crumbs of gold.
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Stuttgarter Zeitung
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​The twenty-eight minute documentary brilliantly exposes the danger faced
not only by communities close to these illegal mines but also the country at large.
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Artsghana
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It's a subjective and, above all, courageous film,
for which Johannes Preuss is receiving the Oscar today.
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Heute Plus ZDF
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documentary film, 28 minutes
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a Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg production,
Germany 2017
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synopsis
The banks of River Pra resemble a moonscape, threatening levels of mercury are found in the water and recently three dead bodies have appeared. The illegal gold business, called galamsey, has the small town of Twifu Praso firmly in its grip.
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When the gold rush began in 2010, filmmaker Johannes Preuss was working as a development advisor in the local community radio station. Five years later he returns and observes the changes in town. Together with old friends and colleagues from the radio, he wants to find out about the consequences of the blessing of gold. In 2017 GALAMSEY received the Student Academy Award for 'Best International Documentary', it was shortlisted for the BAFTA Student Awards and has toured film festivals in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
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filmstills
© Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
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distribution
international distribution
by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
and Magnetfilm World Sales
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FESTIVALS
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Student Academy Awards 2017, Los Angeles, USA | winner: best international documentary
BAFTA Student Film Awards, Los Angeles, USA | shortlist
Neustrelitzer Naturfilmfestival Mensch! Natur! 2017, Germany | winner: audience award
Filmzeit Kaufbeuren 2017, Germany | winner: Dokufilmzeitpreis
Kurz.Film.Fest Künzelsau 2017, Germany | winner: best documentary
Filmschau Baden-Württemberg 2017, Germany | official selection
NaturVision Filmfestival 2017, Ludwigsburg, Germany | official selection
subsequently selected as part of the NaturVision High-School program
'Education for Sustainable Development'​
Shorts Mexico 2017, Mexico D.F. | official selection
Green Screen 2017, Eckernförde, Germany | nominated: best international production
Filmtage Friedrichshafen 2017, Germany | official selection
Doc en Courts 2018, Lyon, France | official selection
iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival 2018, Lagos, Nigeria | official selection
Augenblicke Afrika 2018, Hamburg, Germany | official selection
SWR Doku Festival 2018, Stuttgart, Germany | official selection
Shorts at Moonlight Kurzfilmfestival 2019, Hofheim, Germany | official selection
Europe on Screen 2019, Jakarta, Indonesia | official selection
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VIDEO ON DEMAND
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streaming on Prime Video
streaming on Sooner
DVD/ BLURAY
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distributed on DVD by Matthias Film
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for use in school lessons in German high-schools
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credits
written & directed by
producer
assistant producer
cinematography
editor
music
boom operators
sound postproduction
sound mix
animation
color grading
supervison lecturer (FABW)
Johannes Preuss
Johannes Preuss
Kweku Kyei Donkoh
Johannes Preuss
Manuel Sosnowski
Chiara Strickland
Mark Steven Buah
Claudio Demel
Claudio Demel
Oleg Kauz
Martin Mikosch
Mario Damolin
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production pictures
© Johannes Preuss
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press
PRINT & WEB
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ArtsGhana; 06/08/2018
Documentary film provokes "Galamsey" debate
by John Owoo
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Modern Ghana; 10/21/2017
A German Student's Film On Galamsey Has Won An 'Oscar'!
by Cameron Duodu
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Deutsche Welle; 10/16/2017
How a young German director documented illegal gold mining in Ghana
by Sabine Oelze
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Eßlinger Zeitung; 10/13/2017
Goldener Studentenoscar geht nach Ludwigsburg
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Stuttgarter Zeitung; 10/12/2017
Ludwigsburger Student holt Gold
by Ulla Hanselmann
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Stuttgarter Zeitung; 10/05/2017
Studentenoscar für Goldschürfer-Doku
by Philipp Obergassner
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The Hollywood Reporter; 05/09/2017
BAFTA Student Film Awards Shortlist Revealed
by Gregg Kilday
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RADIO
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Dein Sonntag, Deutschlandfunk Nova
'Goldrausch in Ghana – Gespräch mit Filmemacher Johannes Preuss'
language: German
hosted by: Sebastian Sonntag
broadcasted on: 01/07/2018
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TV REPORTS
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Landesschau Baden-Württemberg, SWR
language: German
hosted by: Jürgen Hörig
broadcasted on: 10/17/2017
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Heute Plus, ZDF
language: German
a report by: Thomas Münthen, Marius Brüning
broadcasted on: 10/12/2017
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MOMA, ARD Morgenmagazin
language: German
a report by: Hardy Hausberg, Natalie Akbari
broadcasted on: 10/06/2017
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SWR Aktuell, SWR
language: German
a report by: Sebastian Schley, Uwe Mönninghoff
broadcasted on: 09/14/2017
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STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS 2017
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acceptance speech by Johannes Preuss
44th Annual Student Academy Awards ceremony
Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills, California
language: English
10/12/2017
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