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Richard Ladkani
and Kief Davidson have been collaborating on film projects since 1997.
Intrigued by the history and culture of the Potosi Miners, they traveled
to Bolivia on a research trip, beginning the groundwork for "The Devil's
Miner".
Kief (American) and Richard (Austrian) raised money from various
international sources, began production in 2004, and effectively worked as
a team, co-directing and co-producing. Drawing on their unique skill sets,
they also designated key positions for production and
post-production…Richard assuming the role of cinematographer and Kief as
the film editor.
With the completion of "The Devil's Miner", Kief and Richard are
developing several future projects.
THE SHOOT
The challenge for “The Devil’s Miner” was finding a
young boy who could carry and narrate a feature-length film. After
interviewing 10 families, the filmmakers were introduced to Basilio
Vargas, who captivated them with his positive energy, intelligence and
articulate speech. Basilio, along with his younger brother Bernardino and
sister Vanessa, were completely natural in front of the camera. The
family enthusiastically agreed to participate and welcomed the crew into
their home.
Filming in the mines was no easy task. The likelihood
of tunnel collapses, toxic gases, runaway carts and dynamite explosions
created constant anxiety. At an altitude of almost 15,000 feet, they
relied on chewing coca leaves and chocolate bars to battle relentless
headaches and fatigue. Joining the filmmakers on the shoot were Tobias
Corts, multi-talented sound operator and 2nd unit cameraman,
and two local mining guides. These expert operators were essential in
navigating a virtual maze of over 20,000 tunnels; one wrong turn could
drop you down a dark shaft with no hope for rescue.
In the claustrophobic tunnels of Cerro Rico, the
filmmakers chose to shoot with a small format digital camera, as anything
larger would have been impossible. The camera was wrapped in multiple
layers of plastic bags to protect it from fine dust, but it was not enough
to keep all the particles out. The miners’ open-flame carbon lamps were
used as the main source of lighting. Just a few strategically placed
lamps had the power to light an entire scene. These lamps could also
detect poisonous gases; if the flame blew out, that indicated the need to
leave immediately. Often the temperature changed within a matter of
seconds. When it reached 110°F (40C), work became unbearable. Concern
for the boys grew as they experienced their reality firsthand. The
filmmakers tried to capture the unfolding drama without losing sight of
the children’s safety.
POST PRODUCTION
Post Production for “The Devil’s Miner” took place in
four countries. Kief and Richard began in Callian, France where they
sifted through 60 hours of footage and several hundred pages of Spanish
transcripts. They had Basilio tell the story through his own words in
Spanish without a detached narrator to keep the film personal and
character- driven. Three weeks later they assembled the first rough cut.
They continued the edit in Los Angeles from Kief’s
studio. After a month of working 90-hour weeks, the fine cut was
completed and screened for feedback. The composers sent drafts of the
score, and recording took place in Mexico City. Final revisions, color
correction and mixing were finished in Munich. Thanks to inexpensive
technology such as SATA drives, Final Cut Pro software, G5 computers and a
handful of frequent flyer miles, they completed a fully mobile film on a
very tight budget. |
