Demon Mineral can be considered an anti-Western, flipping the classical cinematic paradigm by centering the voices and experiences of the Diné community to explore the legacy of uranium mining in Diné Bikeyah, the sacred homelands of the Navajo where over 500 unremediated mines are scattered across an area the size of West Virginia.
In the span of just four generations entire ways of living have been lost or severely compromised, as mining has contaminated the air, water, livestock, and land upon which the community relies for its existence. The film also celebrates the actions the Diné community is taking to fight against new mines and improve life in an irradiated ecosystem which has resulted in a sharp rise in cancer, kidney failure, and other diseases.
The film overlaps with the labor of Dr. Tommy Rock, a Navajo scientist whose life's work is uranium contamination cleanup. Walking through the desert with geiger counter in hand, he traces the invisible trails of uranium that crisscross his childhood home in the iconic Western landscape of Monument Valley. Through him, we meet other Diné activists and elders who have survived everything from genetic damage to nuclear disaster. Eventually, Tommy finds himself representing his community before Congress, who have been continually pushing to reopen the uranium mines and declare uranium a "critical mineral" for American stability.
In keeping with Diné relations with the earth, the land itself is also a central character whose history, purpose, and power is explored. Through community elders, a valuable oral history is shared that expands the scale from the profit-drive short term of mining companies to the cosmic timeline upon which Uranium exists and breaks down. Some Diné adhere to the tenets of an origin story wherein a demon contentedly lives in the earth. The demon will bother no-one unless disturbed, having been laid there by a formidable warrior. Uranium, for millions of years to come, is perhaps this demon made real.
VIDEO LIBRARIAN BEST DOCUMENTARY OF 2024
"Provides a lens into an adversely affected community that is often ignored by mainstream media... Demon Mineral opens up a critical discussion about the long-term effects of mining and the systematic oppression of the indigenous community which is why I highly recommend the film for courses with an interest in environmentalism, human rights, public health, and indigenous studies." — Samuel Kim, Educational Media Reviews Online
"Demon Mineral amplifies the voices of those affected by uranium mining, shedding light on their struggles and celebrating their tireless efforts for environmental justice and healing. [...] This anti-nuclear, Navajo-centered documentary would make a fantastic addition to nearly any library collection. Highly recommended." — J. Zimmerman, Video Librarian
"Demon Mineral paints a devastating portrait of bureaucratic inaction and its long-term impact on human life. This fascinating documentary employs an array of well-sourced scientific data, coupled with archival and on-the-ground footage, to bring into vivid focus the heartbreaking toll of omnipresent radiation on the Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah Indigenous population... The illuminating Demon Mineral is an essential vehicle for those directly impacted by this dire situation to draw attention to their plight." — Zaki Hasan, Film Critic / Lecturer, San Jose State University
"A film manifesto that is intelligent in both its form and narrative content." — Maren Willkomm, Programmer, Munich International Documentary Festival
"Austin's direction is precise, and though the film is presented more like a mosaic and less like a linear narrative, the experience is profoundly affecting. Demon Mineral is a damning indictment of the U.S. government's negligence and violence toward Indigenous communities and serves as a strong companion piece to last year's Oppenheimer, showing just how far-reaching the negative effects of the nuclear arms race were." — SLUG Magazine
"Extraordinary, haunting documentary... An incredibly distinctive, inventive film" — The Geek Show
"Hadley Austin's Demon Mineral combines a portrait of problems and insights into the present of the indigenous Navajo into a cross-stylistic documentary. A visually and thematically interesting debut that doesn't follow any obsessive structure." — Paul Seidel, editorial staff, Moviebreak.de
"The impression of despair is as strong as the structure of Austin's film is relentless, combining misdeeds, solutions and testimonies in a kind of inevitability making the outcome as predictable as it is outrageous. At a time when American cinema is celebrating the so-called intelligence of Oppenheimer, Austin's little film is to be celebrated so much it shows the complexity of this underground fight against global poisoning." — Mathieu Li-Goyette, Editor-In-Chief, Panorama-Cinéma
Citation
Main credits
Austin, Hadley (film director)
Austin, Hadley (film producer)
Austin, Hadley (screenwriter)
Shinaar, Nevo (film producer)
Robbins, Emma (film producer)
Robbins, Emma (on-screen participant)
Rock, Tommy (screenwriter)
Rock, Tommy (on-screen participant)
Keyanna, Teracita (on-screen participant)
Other credits
Director of photography, Yoni Goldstein; editor, Timothy Fryette; animations, Amanda VanValkenburg; music, Lisa Semallie-Robbins, Sihasin, Testify.
