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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.

Stuttgarter Zeitung

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.

Artsghana

It's a subjective and, above all, courageous film,

for which Johannes Preuss is receiving the Oscar today.

Heute Plus ZDF

documentary film, 28 minutes

a Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg production,

Germany 2017




trailer

 

OFFICIAL TRAILER

language: English

© Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

edited by: Manuel Sosnowski

trailer
synopsis




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.

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.

 

filmstills

© Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg




distribution

 

international distribution

by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

and Magnetfilm World Sales

 

FESTIVALS

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

 

VIDEO ON DEMAND

streaming on Prime Video

 

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in German and English language version

available now!

streaming on Sooner

 

available now!

DVD/ BLURAY

distributed on DVD by Matthias Film

 

for use in school lessons in German high-schools

available here

 

distribution




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

 

production pictures

© Johannes Preuss

credits

 


press

 

PRINT & WEB

ArtsGhana; 06/08/2018

Documentary film provokes "Galamsey" debate

by John Owoo

Modern Ghana; 10/21/2017

A German Student's Film On Galamsey Has Won An 'Oscar'!

by Cameron Duodu

Deutsche Welle; 10/16/2017

How a young German director documented illegal gold mining in Ghana

by Sabine Oelze

Eßlinger Zeitung; 10/13/2017

Goldener Studentenoscar geht nach Ludwigsburg

Stuttgarter Zeitung; 10/12/2017

Ludwigsburger Student holt Gold

by Ulla Hanselmann

Stuttgarter Zeitung; 10/05/2017

Studentenoscar für Goldschürfer-Doku

by Philipp Obergassner

 

The Hollywood Reporter; 05/09/2017

BAFTA Student Film Awards Shortlist Revealed

by Gregg Kilday

RADIO

 

Dein Sonntag, Deutschlandfunk Nova

'Goldrausch in Ghana – Gespräch mit Filmemacher Johannes Preuss'

language: German

hosted by: Sebastian Sonntag

broadcasted on: 01/07/2018

LINK

TV REPORTS

 

Landesschau Baden-Württemberg, SWR

language: German

hosted by: Jürgen Hörig

broadcasted on: 10/17/2017

 

Heute Plus, ZDF

language: German

a report by: Thomas Münthen, Marius Brüning

broadcasted on: 10/12/2017

 

MOMA, ARD Morgenmagazin

language: German

a report by: Hardy Hausberg, Natalie Akbari

broadcasted on: 10/06/2017

 

SWR Aktuell, SWR

language: German

a report by: Sebastian Schley, Uwe Mönninghoff

broadcasted on: 09/14/2017

 

STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS 2017

 

acceptance speech by Johannes Preuss

44th Annual Student Academy Awards ceremony

Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills, California

language: English

10/12/2017

 

Student Academy Award Pictures

© Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science /

Johannes Preuss

press

 


screener

 

The screener links are reserved for press, festival staff, broadcasters and production partners.

Please request password via contact.

GALAMSEY SCREENER

language version: English

GALAMSEY SCREENER

language version: German

GALAMSEY SCREENER

language version: French

screener

JOHANNES PREUSS

documentary film

Impressum

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