GREEN GOLD
DOCUMENTARY
DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER/PRODUCER
Behind your picture-perfect avocado toast hides a dark underbelly. Once traditional but now a cash crop, avocado cultivation has brought prosperity to Michoacan, Mexico, gaining the title of ‘green gold’ amongst locals. But off the shot is cartel violence and deforestation; its social and environmental upheaval. Three activists and their families strive to reverse this trend and organize their community.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE • HUMAN RIGHTS • FOOD SYTEMS • ECO CRIMES • SUSTAINABILITY • LIVELIHOOD • COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
WATCH THE TRAILER
BACKGROUND
"Green Gold" will develop in Michoacan, Mexico: the avocado capital of the world. Michoacan produces eight out of 10 Mexican avocados and six out of 10 globally. Over the past years, the role of Michoacan as the top avocado producer has become increasingly important as the fruit continues to gain popularity, particularly in North America, where consumption has grown by over 600% in the last 30 years just in the USA. The story of the avocado in Michoacan is very relevant: up until August 2022, it was the only state in Mexico authorized to export internationally, making the region an area of intense disputes as the demand for the fruit continues to rise yearly, but the land and water available to cultivate it do not. Avocado production is highly water-intensive; each fruit needs roughly 70 liters. Michoacan, however, is a vastly arid region with a growing water crisis and escalating water conflicts in some communities. The problem is even more pressing given the local loggers' insistence on continuing clandestine deforestation practices, moved by the economic incentive that replacing forests with croplands offers. The puzzle gets further complicated as, over the past couple of years, the industry has become a prime target for cartels, which have been seizing farms, common lands and clearing protected woodlands to plant their own groves of what locals call "oro verde" (green gold), which inspired the title of our project.
MEET THE FILMMAKERS
SÉLIM BENZEGHIA – Director
Sélim Benzeghia is a French- Algerian documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist with a multidisciplinary background in law, history and business. He is dedicated to purposeful, diverse and impactful storytelling, focusing on social justice issues, including forced migration, climate justice and international human rights. His credits have included work for Nova Productions, ARTE, UNHCR, and UNICEF. He is finishing his first feature film, focusing on migrant detentions in France. Sélim is now working between France and Mexico but maintains a global approach and a regional connection to Middle Eastern issues.
IVONNE SERNA – Director
Ivonne Serna is a Mexican-born independent filmmaker, specializing in environmental storytelling and exploring the intersections of political, economic, and social factors with ecological issues. Dedicated to diverse storytelling, Ivonne is attentive to amplifying the voices of women in media and communities of color. With roots in Michoacán, Mexico, and currently based in the United States, Ivonne maintains a global perspective on her work while staying connected to Latin American issues.
With three years of research experience at the National Geographic Society, Middlebury College, and Robin des Bois, Ivonne has honed her mission to popularize specialized knowledge and render intricate stories accessible to the public. She has strong field experience in Latin America and values co-participatory processes to ensure that the communities she works with are heard.
Ivonne's talent has been recognized through her selection for the prestigious non-fiction program Documentary Campus 2023, where she is developing her first feature-length documentary. Her latest short film "Sabor y Amor" premiered at the VTIFF Made Here film festival.
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
As directors of "Green Gold," Ivonne Serna and Sélim Benzeghia combine their personal and socio-political perspectives to craft a compelling environmental narrative. These self-taught filmmakers, with backgrounds in environmental sciences, political science, and law, are dedicated to making complex information accessible to a broader audience. Their unique viewpoints, rooted in underrepresented communities in film and media, demonstrate their commitment to illuminating untold stories and promoting diversity in the environmental documentary sphere.
Ivonne, from Michoacán, Mexico, is an environmentalist who believes culture makers, particularly filmmakers, can significantly influence climate action. Her storytelling explores intricate connections between political, economic, and social factors with ecological issues. Through "Green Gold," Ivonne contributes to the global conversation on climate justice while working for her community and home state. Selim, of Algerian descent and based in France, focuses on purposeful storytelling about often unnoticed social justice issues. The film offers him a unique opportunity to examine the intersection of storytelling, law, and activism, positioning the documentary as a vital tool for Madero activists to share their struggle and expose their community's injustices.
"Green Gold" expands their creative practice, emphasizing diversity in environmental work by featuring characters, topics, and disciplines that challenge the conceptions of mainstream environmentalism. The filmmakers are committed to crafting an audience engagement campaign, encouraging individuals to participate actively in the issues the film addresses while fostering interconnectedness and examining global food systems' impact on local environmental justice. Ivonne and Sélim prioritize ethical filmmaking in "Green Gold," eschewing sensationalism and focusing on the daily lives of those affected by cartels and environmental degradation. They strive to tell stories with respect and dignity, providing participants with agency while avoiding romanticization or exploitation. Ivonne's deep connection to her hometown in Mexico fuels her desire to promote environmental activism and inspire others to follow suit.
They aim to encourage viewers to question the origins of their food without resorting to guilt-inducing consumer politics. By carefully examining the interconnectedness of food systems, they hope to illuminate the consequences of our food choices on local environmental justice while addressing the broader systems shaping those outcomes. They seek a balanced perspective in their film, acknowledging avocado farming's high human and environmental costs while recognizing its importance for many livelihoods. They emphasize alternative paths, as the industry's unsustainability threatens future generations.
As artists, success means creating a visually stunning, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant film that sparks meaningful dialogue, raises awareness, and inspires change. Ivonne and Sélim are committed to producing "Green Gold" as a documentary that sheds light on the complexities of land-based environmental activism in Mexico and serves as a catalyst for audiences to reflect on their role in the global ecosystem. Through their work, they aspire to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world, amplifying the voices of those often left out of the spotlight, while always maintaining the integrity of their protagonists as their top priority.
