The Hillside Crowd

By the Diosso hill, Burkina Faso, there is a temporary shanty gold town. The gold under the hill has lured many people dreaming of getting rich to the site, however for most it is a refuge of last resort.

The Hillside Crowd versatilely charts the dingy village’s life, from the mines’ life-threatening conditions to the gold village’s social fabric. Diggers and detonators, medicine vendor, barber, prostitutes, gambling... Everyone tries to get his or her living from the gold, either directly or indirectly through gold diggers. The film’s interviews show great characters and illustrate the topic through individual stories, which often are about longing to one’s family and shame for one’s situation.

Class differences could not be more obvious. The rarely seen “boss” collects half of the profit; the income of the digger, who puts his life in danger on a daily basis, in contrast, is measured with a small scale.

Mikko Remes | Translation by Sophy Bergenheim