Mountain of Gold
Roland Edzard
Belgium, France | 2025 | 85 min
World premiere
Language : Hausa
Subtitles : French, English
Gold fever has gripped northern Niger. In search of the precious metal, and despite the risks, an army of researchers has invaded the sites of interest. While camps are set up and dismantled as rumours of new leads spread, Moussa and his companions are banking on the Ikazan vein. A film packed with palpable tension, brimming with dreams of fortune and friendship.
How many tunnels carved into rock, how many stones crushed to dust, how many litres of water lost—only to end up with barely a gram of gold resting in the palm of a hand? This time, the tally doesn’t add up. The deposit seems depleted. It’s time to move on, to seek another vein… Spurred by rumours of a gold site in northern Niger, Moussa and his fellow miners have left behind their former lives to seize a chance at fortune, braving, each day, the deadly rigours of the desert.
Steeped in the Saharan landscapes of his childhood, Roland Edzar also journeyed far before crossing paths with these diggers and choosing to join them. Sharing their day-to-day existence, the filmmaker recognised a deeply human pursuit: the longing to transcend one’s condition, to imagine a different life for oneself. In time, the desire to make a film took root: a film that would give form to this experience and allow his companions to play their own roles. The result is a documentary that transcends genres, while inching towards an initiatory journey.
Katy Léna Ndiaye
Steeped in the Saharan landscapes of his childhood, Roland Edzar also journeyed far before crossing paths with these diggers and choosing to join them. Sharing their day-to-day existence, the filmmaker recognised a deeply human pursuit: the longing to transcend one’s condition, to imagine a different life for oneself. In time, the desire to make a film took root: a film that would give form to this experience and allow his companions to play their own roles. The result is a documentary that transcends genres, while inching towards an initiatory journey.
Katy Léna Ndiaye
La Montagne d'or, 2025
West Front, 2018
La Fin du silence, 2011
La Plaine, 2005
West Front, 2018
La Fin du silence, 2011
La Plaine, 2005
Screenings and tickets
Sunday 6 April 2025 18:15
Grande Salle, Nyon
In the presence of the director
Tuesday 8 April 2025 14:00
Usine à Gaz 2, Nyon
Trailer
Screenplay
Roland EdzardCatherine Paillé
Photography
Roland EdzardDorian Lucarelli
Editing
Bertrand Conard
Sound
Maman Bachir Moussa SoulyIngrid RaletGilles Bénardeau
Music
Nils OstendorfEve Risser
Production
Grégoire DebaillyGEKO FILMSBenoit RolandWrong Men
Sales contact
Grégoire Debaillyproduction@gekofilms.com
