Materia Prima (2026)

New Energy. Old Powers?

• Documentary

Bolivia has the world's largest deposits of lithium, a metal that is essential for the energy transition. Without lithium, no electricity storage facility, no data centre, no electric car, no smartphone would work. The Europeans want the raw material to save their automotive industry. The Bolivians want it to combat poverty. While the Bolivian government negotiates with corporations from around the world, civil society groups are mobilising in rural areas, organised mainly by women. The film offers a rare insight into the Europeans' strategy to secure the sought-after material and carves out the conflicting interests towards extractivism and industrialisation in Bolivia.

Release date

October 22, 2026

Runtime

1h 29m

Language

Spanish

Director

Jens Schanze

Status

Released