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Silence Is Gold

This feature documentary takes us through the twists and turns of judicial proceedings pitting Canadian mining companies Barrick Gold and Banro against author Alain Deneault, his co-writers and publisher Éditions Écosociété, following the 2008 release of the book Noir Canada, which raised troubling questions about the controversial practices of Canadian mining companies in Africa. Silence is Gold is a legal and political thriller that captures years of intense psychological tension.
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This feature documentary takes us through the twists and turns of judicial proceedings pitting Canadian mining companies Barrick Gold and Banro against author Alain Deneault, his co-writers and publisher Éditions Écosociété, following the 2008 release of the book Noir Canada, which raised troubling questions about the controversial practices of Canadian mining companies in Africa. Silence is Gold is a legal and political thriller that captures years of intense psychological tension.

Law and Crime Mining Media and Communication All subjects
Human Rights All channels
  • writer
    Julien Fréchette
  • director
    Julien Fréchette
  • participation
    Alain Deneault
  • producer
    Jean-Simon Chartier
    Colette Loumède
  • director of photography
    Étienne Boilard
  • additional director of photography
    Nicolas Canniccioni
  • editor
    Andrea Henriquez
  • original music
    Dany Nicolas
    Zoé Dumais
  • development producer
    Frederic Bohbot
    Anne-Marie Gélinas
    David Pieropan
  • researcher
    Maude Paquette
  • story consultant
    Francine Pelletier
    Magnus Isacsson
  • sound recording
    Julien Fréchette
    Toby Richardson
  • additional sound recording
    Arnaud Têtu
  • production manager
    Nathalie Doyon
    David Pieropan
  • additional camera
    Julien Fréchette
    Kieran Crilly
    Patryk Antoniewicz
  • online editing
    François Bouliane
  • colour grader
    Mathieu Marano
  • archival researcher
    Jenny Cartwright
  • archival coordinator
    Jenny Cartwright
  • titles editor
    Francine Pelletier
  • dialogue transcription
    Geneviève Dorval
  • translation
    Sette
  • subtitles
    Sette
  • insertion of English subtitles
    Denis Gathelier
    Denis Pilon
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • additional musician
    Alexis Dumais
  • production accountant
    Nathalie Doyon
  • legal services
    Remy Khouzam
  • accounting specialist
    Monique Beaulieu
  • financial advisor
    Martin Gagnon-Lalanne
  • marketing manager
    François Jacques
  • marketing manager - assistance
    Geneviève Bérard
  • administrator
    Sia Koukoulas
  • production coordinator
    Hélène Regimbal
  • administrative assistant
    Nathalie Drauth
    Lise Lévesque
  • technical coordinator
    Richard Cliche
  • associate producer
    Mélanie Lasnier

Education

Ages 15 to 18

Notes

Silence Is Gold highlights the challenges that small organizations face when attempting to inform the general public about how corporations are behaving. Why should we develop critical thinking tools about companies in the same way as we strive for media literacy (31:40)? What is force majeure and how does it allow for loopholes of responsibility (48:30)? Discuss the ways in which large companies can use lawsuits to keep information private (e.g., “bankrupting” their opponents and forcing them into silence while the information is before the courts).

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Silence Is Gold
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