DAUGHTER OF CHOROLQUE

5600 metres above sea level in the Bolivian mining village of Chorolque emancipation for women means having earned the right to work alongside men in the depths of the earth. Today there are 20 women who work in the tin mine among 1000 men. In 1990, Pascuala was the first woman to be allowed to go down the shafts to work, breaking the tradition that forbade females to take employment. Now aged 56, she has been campaigning for the past 18 years for her fellow women's right to independence and recognition in a patriarchal world. This ethnographic film enters into the harsh environment of the mine with women who have followed in Pascuala's footsteps, such as Carmela and her daughter. Deep underground the sound of hammers resonates in the chambers and we witness the backbreaking work of the miners. The stresses and strains are evident in their grubby faces and calloused hands. In contrast, on the surface of the earth, stunning landscapes reveal a poignant beauty, a beauty that is also present in the lives of the daughters of Chorolque.