A film by award winning writer & director Lou Douros
SHAFTED explores whether Rise Gold Corp’s plan will devastate the people, the environment, and the economy of Grass Valley, California
REPEATING HISTORY
In 2015, Banks Island Gold LTD, a Canadian mining company in British Columbia, was accused of an environmental spill on traditional tribal lands. In order to avoid costly clean up and prosecution, the company declared bankruptcy, leaving the devastation to the Canadian and Gitxaala First Nations governments.
Today, in Grass Valley California, the same failed principals have secured the rights to a gold mine worth hundreds of billions of dollars. As a newly-minted entity, Rise Gold Corp plans to use the same playbook they executed in British Columbia – take advantage of small-town folks, strip the valuable resources, and inflate the value of their stock. If history is any indication, Rise Gold will destroy the land, watersheds, and local economy and leave destruction in their wake.
Film Trailer:
“My approach to this unscripted story is to present every subject matter expert, regardless of their position, as the best possible version of him/herself. Cinematographer, Larry Huntington and I have deep respect for the audience. We’ll put what we’ve discovered on screen and hope it will help dispel myths and clarify information coming from both sides.”
“There are a lot of emotions tied up in this story. Those supporting the mine promise an economic boom. But those opposed voice many environmental concerns. The goal of this film is to pressure Rise Grass Valley to be honest and accountable and to drive their opposition to clearly defend their case. This is not as easy as it sounds. We can only help someone tell their own story if they’ll engage with us on camera. Not everyone who should appear in this film is eager to participate. Unfortunately, if they don’t tell their story, somebody else will.”
SHAFTED EXCLUSIVES
A parade of revellers trundle down Broad Street to celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), a last day of feasting and self-indulgence before the onset of the season of Lent. For men and women of the Christian faith, Lent is a time of fasting, alms-giving, repentance and reflection that ends on Easter morning.
But in Nevada County, those that lined the streets had an additional issue on their minds. These protesters were voicing their strong concerns over the CEO of a mining company who is still facing criminal charges in the Canadian courts for environmental crimes but plans to open another mine in the heart of Nevada County.
Community members’ overwhelming fears are around whether those with the power to approve an 80-year use permit for the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine will listen to their voices and their concerns about a company owner whose previous venture left a trail of environmental and safety violations.
Rise Grass Valley is a publicly traded company attempting to reopen the Idaho-Maryland gold mine in Nevada County, California. There are obvious reasons their investors from around the world want to start operations as soon as possible. The company has built the case for an economic boom for the thousands of citizens living directly above the mine.
But are all of their claims accurate, or are they inflated and manipulated numbers designed to sway public opinion?
In response to the company’s optimism, Nevada County ordered an economic impact report by an independent firm, Robert D. Niehaus, Inc.
When Martin Webb (a local Nevada County businessman) read the report, something didn’t add up. So he started digging into their findings. RDN’s conclusions appeared to Martin to be inconsistent with the data. We interviewed him to explore what he makes of the data behind the economic report.
This short excerpt from the feature length film under development, SHAFTED, demonstrates what can happen when an analytic mind is motivated to read and research beyond the summary paragraphs. Martin found inconsistencies in every conclusion advanced by RDN.
The team has set up a GoFundMe Campaign to offset some of the expenses of preproduction & development. Both Douros (North Yuke Films) and Huntington (Enterstellar Films) have decades of experience and their own cinema production equipment. “Shafted” has a lean budget and committed Nevada County filmmakers who care deeply about what happens economically and environmentally in their own backyards. The team has exceptional local knowledge and gained unprecedented access to key players in the story.
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