Malartic

Ten years after Canada’s largest open-pit gold mine began operations in Malartic, has the promised economic miracle turned out to be merely a mirage? Having previously documented the local community’s hopes for prosperity in The Golden Rule (2010), filmmaker Nicolas Paquet returns to this town in Quebec’s Abitibi region to explore the glaring contrast between its decline and the staggering wealth of its new “tenant.” Blending macro analysis with personal accounts, he reveals broken promises and the mechanisms of a disturbingly opaque system. Part long-term anthropological study, part investigation into the corridors of power, Malartic scrutinizes a web of links between private corporations, public authorities and the judiciary, a decision-making space in which ordinary people have little say. This documentary about legal failings and democratic deficit addresses the fundamental issue of sustainable and fair management of land and resources.