Jade Miners
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It is the end of 2012 and the Burmese government is waging war with the Kachin rebels. Jade mining is forced to come to a halt because of the conflict. But many Burmese workers still flock to the jade mines in Kachin State to dig jade illegally, constantly afraid of being caught by the military poli...(Read more)
It is the end of 2012 and the Burmese government is waging war with the Kachin rebels. Jade mining is forced to come to a halt because of the conflict. But many Burmese workers still flock to the jade mines in Kachin State to dig jade illegally, constantly afraid of being caught by the military police. All they hope for is to find a piece of jade that can transform their lives.
This is director Midi Z’s first documentary. Unlike his guerrilla feature films, Jade Miners was shot over the course of 14 months, soberly bringing these illegal mine laborers’ daily routines to the light. In a minimalist style, the film exposes the workers’ harsh reality that is wedged between life-threatening danger and the humdrum activities of daily life. Midi Z followed this with a companion piece, City of Jade (2016), a more personal film that explores his elder brother’s struggles as a jade miner.
DVD source：Taiwan Cinema Toolkit, Ministry of Culture, R.O.C.
| Chinese title： | 挖玉石的人 |
| Year： | 2015 |
| Director： | Midi Z |
| Duration： | 105 min |
| Length： | Feature |
| Category： | Documentary |
| Theme： | Society |
| Color： | Color |
| Format： | DVD |
| Sound： | Stereo |
| Language： | Mandarin, Yunnan dialect |
| Subtitle： | Chinese, English |
| Editor： | Midi Z, WANG Shin-Hong |
| Excluded for public screenings： | China, Hong Kong, Macau |
| Royalty period： | Jun. 1, 2017 - May 31, 2020 |
| Licensing contact： | This film is for non-profit screenings only. Regarding conditions for screening, please contact Taiwan Film Institute: toolkit@mail.tfi.org.tw For commercial licensing, please contact Public Television Service Foundation (TBS): pub5139@mail.pts.org.tw |
| Festival list： | 2016 Taiwan International Documentary Festival, Merit Prize of Taiwanese Competition 2015 Taipei Film Festival |
