The documentary Mining, Profit and Devastation – The Farce of Energy Transition will have its pre-premiere on November 19 at 7 p.m. at Casa Carmina in Belém, Pará, coinciding with the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).
The production, a collaboration between the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and BdF, is part of the Socio-environmental Journalism House schedule, a space that will bring together 21 independent media outlets during the global summit.
The film offers a critical look at the so-called “energy transition” and its role in increasing the extraction of strategic minerals such as lithium, copper, and nickel, mostly from the Global South, to sustain consumption in the Global North. Drawing from the scars of mining disasters in Brumadinho and Mariana, Brazil’s mining heartland, the documentary examines a central contradiction in the global climate debate.
“Communities affected by mining continue to pay the price of a model that presents itself as a climate solution but reproduces the same old violence,” said Elisangela Soldateli Paim, coordinator of the Latin American Climate and Energy Program at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
Through testimonies from affected residents and analysis from researchers and activists, the documentary exposes the effects of nature’s financialization, community displacement, water contamination, and the collapse of local economies.
Filmmaker and producer Katarine Flor points out that the dominant energy transition model continues to turn entire regions into “sacrifice zones.”
“Profits remain concentrated in the Global North, while the social and environmental consequences fall on communities living near mines, dams, and extraction sites. The film highlights this contradiction and reveals who truly pays the price,” she said.
Monyse Ravena, journalism coordinator at BdF, emphasized that the film reflects the outlet’s editorial commitment to environmental justice. “The capitalist exploitation of nature and its impact on Brazilian society are central themes for BdF. This documentary is an important expression of that priority, bringing a popular perspective to issues often ignored by corporate media,” she said.
For Andreas Behn, director of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Brazil and Paraguay, such productions are key to advancing social and environmental justice. “Documentaries that place communities at the center of the debate help challenge official narratives and deepen the understanding of mining’s real impacts. It’s essential that these stories circulate and strengthen the public struggle for truly just models,” he stated.
Nina Fideles, executive director of BdF, also highlighted the value of the partnership. “One of BdF’s main goals is to produce in-depth journalism on issues few people talk about. Partnerships like this one allow us to share that responsibility and reach broader audiences with critical perspectives,” she said.
After the screening, there will be an open discussion with Elisangela Soldateli Paim; David Williams, director of the International Climate Justice Program at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in New York; and Thomas Fatheuer, researcher at the Center for Research and Documentation Chile–Latin America and member of the KoBra network. Fabrina Furtado, professor at the Graduate Program in Social Sciences in Development, Agriculture, and Society at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (CPDA/UFRRJ), will also join the debate.
The session will also present the ‘Politicizing the Climate’ book series and the publication ‘Clean Germany, Exploited South’.
Event details
Pre-premiere of the documentary “Mining, Profit and Devastation – The False Energy Transition”
Date: November 19
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Casa Carmina – Rua Arcipreste Manoel Teodoro, 864, Batista Campos, Belém (Pará)
