PLATEAU

“Plateau” profiles a group of undocumented tin-miners in Nigeria’s Jos-Plateau state and explores the socio-economic implications of their activities. Before Nigeria’s independence, Plateau State was central to the mining of minerals such as tin and columbite. Tin deposits were discovered in Jos-Plateau and the British colonial regime at the time enabled foreign companies to exploit the area.

In the late 70’s and 80’s post-colonialism, many of these companies ceased and workers became redundant. Present day, mining continues with a whole host of complications. Without adequate machinery, the process is rudimentary and unmonitored, posing grave challenges to miners, inhabitants of Jos-Plateau state and the surrounding ecosystem. Nigeria gained independence in the 1960s’, and the discovery of crude oil not long before this, saw the abandonment of industries such as mining.“Plateau” questions notions of independence and the detrimental impact of forgotten industries.

Director and Editor: Karimah Ashadu
Camera: Aigberadion Israel Ikhazuangbe
Location sound recordist: Anthony Monday
Colour correction and sound adjustments: Cristian Manzutto
Credit Designer: Abdulmonim Twebti

Duration: 30:00 mins

Year: 2022

HD Digital film, colour with sound

English/German Subs

Commissioned and produced by Fondazione In Between Art Film for the exhibition Penumbra
Complesso dell’Ospedaletto, Venice
20.04 – 27.11.2022 

Supported by Africa Culture Fund.

With thanks to Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination, Paris.