Synopsis: Despite a deeply unbalanced game, Maxima, Bertha and Carolina share a common goal: they are leading today's environmental fight against modern corporate conquistadors. Whereas governments and corporations are trapped in a global race to get the cheapest raw materials, these three women tell us a story of tireless courage: how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?

Erika Gonzalez Ramirez, Matthieu Lietaert

Bio:

ERIKA (GONZALEZ RAMIREZ)- Before starting this film project, Erika was, from 2013 to 2018, the managing director and advocacy officer of GRUPO SUR network for several EU NGOs active in Latin America. She led the advocacy activities with EU institutions, especially in the field of Human Rights violation with an special focus on violence against women and feminicide. From 2006 to 2012 she worked as a journalist for EURANET, working on the weekly European political analysis programme and daily current affairs programme. The illusion of Abundance is Erika's first movie.

MATTHIEU (LIETAERT)- Matthieu turned his PhD thesis into a documentary film about corporate lobbying for several EU broadcasters (ARTE/ZDF, RTBF, ORF) as well as an interactive serious game for ARTE France. He was awarded best Belgian TV Journalist for this work. He also wrote the first book about interactive documentaries (WEBDOCS - A survival guide for online filmmakers) with the support of IDFA, Power to the pixel, Dok Leipzig, ARTE, Sheffield Docfest and MediaStorm. Matthieu teaches today interactive storytelling at IE Business School in Madrid. Matt's filmography: - Co-Director - THE BRUSSEL BUSINESS , about lobbying in the EU (ARTE, RTBF, ORF) 2012 - Sold to seven other broadcasters. + interactive online project for ARTE - Author - NOS CHERS PARADIS (ARTE 2016), a participative film made by 800 EU citizens launched first during COP 21 in Paris. The illusion of Abundance is Matt's second movie as director.

Statement:

Our film is a road-movie into today's Latin America. Erika as co-director is the narrating voice of this journey, as she is going back to her root continent, 20 years after starting her career in Europe. As the director of an NGO network - her previous job - she could see the dreadful impact of globalisation on women land defenders. Last year, 220 land defenders were killed at the world level. 2000 were killed in the past 20 years, many are indigenous leaders. And no less than two out of three were killed in Latin America alone. This film documents their resistance.This in mind, and in order to picture today’s reality, we decided to give voice to the resistance of three women. They all show us what are the consequences of globalisation and what is called "development" in their region. No matter what are the industry slogans and discourses - it can be a so-called “green hydroelectric dam” or “most environmental gold mine” - the consequences at the local level for nature and for communities are as disastrous as they were in the past.

It is a film about their tireless courage facing these giant corporations, as well as their creative resistance to fight back.This film is supported so far by 20 international NGOs from 10 countries in the EU and the USA . A lobby tour in many countries, from the COP15 in MOntreal, the EU Parliament in Brussels to the UN in Geneva, is now in progress together with some protagonists of the film. This impact campaign around the film will be going on until late 2024 with our NGO partners. The film's world sales agent is Esther van Messel at First Hand Films, an award-winning international sales company with 25 years of experience in the field of documentary distribution.The film Premiere took plact during the impact tour launch at the 32nd FFCGN in Cologne, Germany. It then got selected at film festivals in 10 other countries, as well as impact labs at FIPADOC in France and FIFDH in Switzerland in 2022.

Have a lovely day and hope to meet you soon!
Erika and Matt