About That Idris Elba Gold Documentary

[00:04] [delicate music]

[00:05] Gold.

[00:06] Born pure and immaculate in the heart of dying

[00:10] mankind since time immemorial.

[00:12] What enrapturing magic lies in that soft yellow

[00:17] Why has gold enchanted so many for so long

[00:23] yet firm embrace?

[00:25] What mysteries lie in gold if we dare to follow

[00:30] folds of gold’s sweet

[00:32] Hey, is this getting weird for anyone else?

[00:37] [aggressive dubstep]

[00:44] Gold.

[00:47] I can’t be the only one who's getting spammed

[00:57] Whether it’s overpolished YouTube spots,

[01:02] courses a lot of people seem to want me, Dan

[01:08] Most ads for investments are fairly similar

[01:13] of daily life, but this one caught my attention.

[01:16] Idris Elba - “I’m going to tell you a

[01:26] There’s nothing else like it.

[01:29] A miracle of nature.

[01:32] I’m talking about gold.”

[01:36] That is The Suicide Squad’s own Idris Elba

[01:42] by the “World Gold Council”... whoever

[01:45] I’m assuming they were the villains from

[01:48] ‘Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba’ promises

[01:54] adventure peering into the fascinating and

[01:59] element seventy nine, the ways gold intersects

[02:05] well…

[02:06] I’m not going to bury the lede here, this

[02:10] It is not particularly good.

[02:13] But!

[02:15] Its existence is interesting.

[02:18] These kinds of celebrity-hosted corporate

[02:23] and age, usually relegated to industry trade

[02:28] back corner of some regional museum’s geology

[02:33] The Mineral Journey sponsored by the World

[02:38] You know, that kind of thing.

[02:40] What’s unusual is how hard it’s being

[02:45] If you even glanced at something finance related

[02:50] as an ad.

[02:51] “What is i about gold that’s got us so

[02:54] There’s no sticking one in your pocket and

[03:04] Now, first of all, in the abstract a documentary

[03:11] I’d watch.

[03:13] Gold is a genuinely compelling subject worthy

[03:18] team with, like, a travel budget and at least

[03:24] mine.

[03:25] You could fill the running time of a documentary

[03:31] gold, its resistance to corrosion, its malleability,

[03:37] of physics and chemistry, inform its place

[03:42] Gold is at once a practical and useful metal,

[03:48] connects its actual uses and various imposed

[03:52] Any comprehensive answer to the question “what

[03:57] unavoidably carries an emotional component,

[04:04] So here’s some fun facts about gold:

[04:08] Gold is incredibly resistant to corrosion.

[04:10] The main threats to things humans build and

[04:16] and gold is, for all intents and purposes,

[04:20] It neither rusts nor rots, and aside from

[04:26] Gold is pretty rare.

[04:27] Of the 94 naturally occurring elements found

[04:32] up 4x10^-7 percent of the crust.

[04:36] Even though it is rare in terms of the total

[04:40] is widespread, with significant deposits on

[04:44] Also “relatively rare” in the context

[04:49] full of the stuff in human terms.

[04:51] Despite this rarity gold has historically

[04:56] nuggets being found in surface-level deposits,

[05:00] Since it doesn’t corrode, gold exposed by

[05:06] Gold is extremely malleable, to the point

[05:10] thick, and then those threads can be stretched

[05:14] It can be rolled into sheets so thin that

[05:19] structural integrity.

[05:20] It can be polished so smooth it is the material

[05:27] such as those in space telescopes.

[05:29] Gold is hard enough to make useful household

[05:33] with stone tools without smelting.

[05:35] Gold isn’t consumed by most of the things

[05:40] and repurposed simply by smelting it into

[05:43] St. Edward’s Crown could easily be reduced

[05:49] time in history after English Parliament melted

[05:55] We did it once before, Charles.

[05:56] We can do it again.

[05:58] As a result of all of these cosmic coincidences

[06:03] and its basic industrialization has been invented

[06:08] Putting all that another way, unlike basically

[06:14] a trinket made of gold can be sunk to the

[06:19] of years and be dug up functionally unchanged.

[06:23] The timeline of gold is the timeline of geology.

[06:27] This physical trait, this resilience, gives

[06:34] Even this little cheap little souvenir bottle

[06:40] it is “a gift of remaining value.”

[06:43] There is a narrative around gold that starts

[06:49] its own collection of cultural signifiers,

[06:54] about gold will inevitably intersect technology,

[07:01] So when we talk of gold we’re really talking

[07:06] all sharing a name: gold, the element, gold,

[07:13] it is this last one that is the subject of

[07:17] Not everything is rosy for gold.

[07:19] Gold as a commodity faces a number of challenges

[07:24] and some more modern.

[07:26] Gold has, dare I say, a bit of an image problem.

[07:29] Gold, for a long list of reasons that are

[07:34] of conspiracy theorists, preppers, and and

[07:39] They hoard it, they accuse governments of

[07:44] zeal.

[07:46] “Come in.

[07:50] How do you plan on supporting my granddaughter

[07:52] I’m only 17, sir.

[07:54] What can provide her with the brightest future?

[07:57] A home?

[07:58] Wrong!

[07:59] Gold!

[08:00] Gold?

[08:01] It’s never too early or late to secure your

[08:05] For my younger viewers, this is real.

[08:07] This isn’t, this isn’t a Tim and Eric

[08:11] the guy who did burglaries for Nixon sincerely

[08:16] So safe to say nothing attracts a crank quite

[08:21] the wider public thinks of gold as an investment.

[08:24] “Call Rosland Capital and tell them Gordon

[08:28] Alright, I want to take a second just to unwind

[08:32] Despite the popularity of gold amongst people

[08:37] they’re working from isn’t un-sound.

[08:40] If you were an investor back in the Netherlands

[08:45] return over almost 400 years, tulips or gold?

[08:50] In the long run you can be pretty confident

[08:56] valuable in the indeterminate future.

[08:59] So on one hand gold as an abstract financial

[09:05] on the other hand while gold is a safe bet

[09:11] thing in your 5-year portfolio.

[09:14] Gold doesn’t pay interest, so it didn’t

[09:18] climate of the bull run, but it’s also less

[09:23] And for the “sound money” gold-standard

[09:29] competition from cryptocurrency.

[09:31] The majority of the accessible gold has probably

[09:36] years of panning and digging we’ve found

[09:40] New discoveries and new operations are becoming

[09:45] As the documentary demonstrates with breathless

[09:51] big, high-production mines, are thousands

[09:57] massive volumes of rock.

[09:59] “You feel stress?”

[10:01] “It’s that, it’s the idea that we're

[10:08] earth.”

[10:10] Mines are also under increasing scrutiny.

[10:13] The average consumer is more aware than ever

[10:17] There’s both consciousness of the systemic

[10:22] about working conditions.

[10:24] For instance, Less than two weeks before the

[10:29] collapsed, killing at least nine miners.

[10:31] So, we’re going to, for now, set aside the

[10:37] all, whether or not the gold that they’re

[10:41] first place, and just for a moment put ourselves

[10:47] We don’t need to empathise with them, but

[10:52] Mine operators don’t dig up and hoard gold

[10:57] it up and sell it.

[10:59] Making a profit from a gold mine requires

[11:04] Mining operations have enormous upfront costs,

[11:09] by bearish sentiment elsewhere.

[11:13] Gold has its best days when the market is

[11:16] This means that operating a gold mine can

[11:24] to the price of gold.

[11:26] Even small increases in the value of gold

[11:31] And in reverse, small decreases or lengthy

[11:37] Gold may be the safe pick in the long term,

[11:43] can lead to a lot of anxiety.

[11:45] Enter the World Gold Council.

[11:48] The WGC is one of the world’s leading authorities

[11:53] Council is comprised exclusively of major

[11:57] The organisation’s sole purpose is to push

[12:01] That isn’t an accusation, it’s not even

[12:05] The World Gold Council is extremely up front

[12:10] of its members, who are, again, big mining

[12:14] The organisation was founded in mid-1987 by

[12:20] And they were absolutely forward-thinking,

[12:25] value would begin a sustained decline that

[12:31] These sorts of lobby and marketing groups

[12:35] just a specific company or brand but an entire

[12:41] non-profit organizations as a result.

[12:44] The World Gold Council exists in a weird spot

[12:49] They lobby governments, they spin market trends,

[12:54] their ultimate goal is to convince serious

[12:59] their money into gold mines.

[13:02] Their clients sell literal gold, the WGC sells

[13:09] “You are precious, you are brilliance, you

[13:16] “Bro, I’ve been there, but gold saved

[13:20] “A tip for you.

[13:23] Visit invest dot gold.”

[13:24] “Visit invest dot gold to see why gold is

[13:28] “Stability security protection.

[13:31] You shouldn’t have to choose.

[13:35] Gold.

[13:36] Your strategic advantage.

[13:39] Visit goldhub dot com.”

[13:42] Like, this isn’t just online crank forum

[13:47] represent tiny “artisanal” mines that

[13:52] Their main goal is convincing investors to

[13:58] that will move millions of tons of rock; they

[14:04] So while their job is propaganda, they are

[14:09] on gold.

[14:11] But that doesn’t stop the World Gold Council

[14:16] theories, typically painting it as a psy-op.

[14:19] “I long concluded that the World Gold Council

[14:24] Gold Council.”

[14:25] So you can try, but you’ll never escape

[14:29] “Well there’s some of us who have suspected

[14:37] a, it’s another mechanism in the tool of

[14:43] to be able to use the public’s investment

[14:50] to keep the price down, that it’s another

[14:55] So, “Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba”

[15:00] Again, don’t take it from us, take it from

[15:05] the World Gold Council.

[15:06] “The documentary was commissioned, simply

[15:12] to help the world really understand the value

[15:17] transformative power, you know.”

[15:18] We’re going to come back to this interview

[15:21] It’s… very interesting, but, yeah, then

[15:27] points.

[15:28] “Yeah I think there’s a couple of key

[15:31] I’m just gonna highlight a few.

[15:33] The first is that, for every one job that

[15:38] jobs around the community of that gold mine

[15:41] A lot of people don’t realise that.”

[15:43] It is as subtle as, a gold-plated toilet

[15:47] The documentary itself has a bit more of a

[15:51] in with the info but, not that deft a hand.

[15:56] “These things, even though they mean a lot

[16:00] weight of the money that they”

[16:02] “100%”

[16:03] “Like you know it’s not like it’s ever

[16:05] “100%.

[16:06] It’s the same thing.

[16:08] Buying gold, they’re investments.”

[16:09] That isn’t subtext, that’s just text.

[16:11] The documentary allegedly features Idris Elba

[16:16] to shed light on humanity’s ancient relationship

[16:19] In actuality, it’s a virtual-tour of gold

[16:24] Gold Council, and each segment exists to either

[16:29] industry, or pitch the mine as an investment

[16:33] Elba visits mines in Canada and South Africa,

[16:38] Osei Tutu II in Ghana, gets a tour of a Bank

[16:44] hip-hop jeweller Abs the Jeweller, and narrates

[16:48] in India, the California gold rush, and a

[16:54] in Peru.

[16:55] Like, just to be clear - every mine credited

[17:01] corporation.

[17:02] And they play us all the hits.

[17:04] Gold mines foster local economies, they build

[17:08] up after themselves, they’re even on the

[17:12] Though…

[17:13] On that note… even the doc doesn’t bother

[17:19] endeavour.

[17:20] It’s because they lose more to sick days

[17:25] “Out of the work force of eight thousand

[17:31] eight hundred of these employees and their

[17:35] malaria.

[17:36] So the mine decided to establish a malaria

[17:41] It’s hard to overlook the fact that the

[17:45] with the grandness of the subject matter,

[17:50] The documentary is unique partly because it

[17:56] The film is composed of a series of four to

[18:01] be looping in the corner of a museum installation.

[18:04] The fact that something so insubstantial is

[18:10] in itself.

[18:11] They had Idris-Elba money, and chose to spend

[18:15] “Wow, look at how hot that is.”

[18:18] On that note, a common discussion point about

[18:22] It’s very strange.

[18:24] There are times when Idris is energised.

[18:26] “So today is the very special Ashanti Akwasidae

[18:31] I’ve been honoured to be asked to be part

[18:37] There are times when he’s clearly working

[18:41] “into the… centre of the Earth.”]

[18:43] “I tell you what, it’s so exciting.

[18:44] This is so exciting.

[18:45] It’s the first time I’ve ever seen gold

[18:50] And in the sound booth, Idris has a very stilted

[18:54] It could be a deliberate choice, but it feels

[18:58] teleprompting that is slightly too far away.

[19:01] “But for me, and I’m pretty sure I’m

[19:05] is being able to wear it.”

[19:08] For comparison, here is Elba’s performance

[19:12] “To understand how club culture has become

[19:17] to go back to a scene that started on New

[19:20] It was the 70s, and the city was suffering.”

[19:22] Idris has close ties to Ghana and has spent

[19:27] in the region.

[19:29] During his trip where he met the Ashanti King,

[19:33] policy - and was planning to bring an upcoming

[19:38] "...we could case study my film as a proof

[19:43] To what extent this influenced his decision

[19:48] But it’s plainly obvious that Idris really

[19:53] “Wow.

[19:54] Look at how hot that is.”

[19:56] What we’re left with is a very standard

[20:00] voice actor and overly dramatic framing.

[20:04] For the most part, the documentary is just

[20:07] The doc makes boring decisions for self-interested

[20:11] By way of example, India has the second highest

[20:16] The two combine to make up half the world’s

[20:20] This makes the World Gold Council very invested

[20:25] So we get a short sequence in India that alludes

[20:31] This is a big and genuinely interesting subject,

[20:36] have time to do ‘interesting’.

[20:39] The nuanced significance of gold in Hindu

[20:44] this very odd and uniform notion of “respect”.

[20:47] Here’s Joe specifically responding to a

[20:51] gold with “spiritual respect”... whatever

[20:56] “We come on your program regularly, we talk

[21:00] significance of India as a market.

[21:04] Play close attention where Idris sees a young

[21:09] They talk in great detail about how its significant

[21:13] the passing on of that dowry, it's more about

[21:23] Okay, so, this doesn’t actually happen.

[21:24] For one; Idris isn’t there, he doesn’t

[21:29] only focuses on the bride’s gold jewellery.

[21:32] The dowry isn’t acknowledged at all, likely

[21:37] to throw at a western audience.

[21:40] But this is the essence of the documentary

[21:45] but inoffensive corporate spin on a shallow

[21:50] But there are, of course, issues that are

[21:55] The subjects of colonialism and environment

[22:00] The doc has a sequence in Johannesburg where

[22:05] are quarantined.

[22:07] The film cedes some ground on this, acknowledging

[22:16] intersected with racism.

[22:17] Elba interviews Frans Baleni, who worked in

[22:22] of a key miner’s strike.

[22:24] During that interview, the two don’t pull

[22:27] They are carrying no water for the mines.

[22:29] “we were not really looked after.

[22:31] We were almost like slaves, because what they

[22:38] However, this film was commissioned by mining

[22:41] So…

[22:42] “There’s no hiding from the fact

[22:45] No hiding, yeah

[22:46] “that gold mining played a major part”

[22:49] Uh huh

[22:50] “in shaping South African society during

[22:53] Yeah?!

[22:54] “But with gold”

[22:56] [Airhorn noises]

[22:58] The doc then very awkwardly frames gold as

[23:03] “But with gold comes power, and those gold

[23:09] Because you see… gold, by being so useful,

[23:15] By withholding their labour, and denying the

[23:19] black community was empowered.

[23:21] It’s a subtle reframing of a labour strike

[23:28] withholding of product.

[23:30] An inert mineral is stealing the valour of

[23:35] It’s very weird.

[23:36] We’re then abruptly moved to South Deep,

[23:40] use of remote vehicles operated from the surface.

[23:43] This is an interesting novelty, and genuinely

[23:48] for at least some stuff, but it doesn’t

[23:53] of Apartheid.

[23:54] But as they talk about mechanization, they

[23:58] for gender equality amongst the workers, and

[24:05] “There are ladies who are miners, crew leaders,

[24:10] Its purpose in the Text is to absolve the

[24:13] By saying ‘here is what happened then, and

[24:18] argues that mining companies have fixed the

[24:22] “Chu chu chu”

[24:23] That’s already wild on its face, but even

[24:28] One is a serious, politically charged conversation

[24:34] exploitation; the other is about the quirks

[24:40] job.

[24:41] The argument does not land at all, but the

[24:45] undeserved confidence that it has tackled

[24:51] Then there’s the subject of the environment.

[24:54] Obviously there is no nuanced discussion of

[24:58] the companies come out of it looking good.

[25:01] So the mandate is simple: say as little as

[25:07] successes.

[25:08] So, that explains why the New Zealand segment

[25:11] But it just sucks.

[25:12] It sucks so bad.

[25:14] The topic is specifically on the closure and

[25:19] up’ after themselves.

[25:21] The segment focuses on the reclamation of

[25:25] of New Zealand.

[25:26] The entire sequence is four minutes long,

[25:31] of the mine.

[25:32] We see that the main pit has been filled with

[25:36] to plant seeds from a helicopter.

[25:38] We’re then treated to a CG render of what

[25:43] unstated point in the future.

[25:45] We close on some B-roll of wildlife, and we’re

[25:49] Here is the totality of material on the pit.

[25:53] “When the mine closed in 2016, their first

[26:00] into a lake.

[26:02] It’s nice, but it still looks like a mine

[26:10] If I held stock in Oceana Gold I would be

[26:14] Anyone with any general knowledge of mining

[26:18] that this is a pit lake - the same toxic,

[26:23] Scott video.

[26:24] “It is a mile wide and so deep you could

[26:29] upright in it.

[26:31] Or at least you could if the pit wasn’t

[26:35] “It looks inviting, but you wouldn’t want

[26:39] That is dark, lonely water.

[26:41] It looks toxically blue, and it is.

[26:43] It’s alkaline, it’s got a pH above 11,

[26:46] “Tell you what that water’s nice and blue

[26:50] But the Reefton pit is not like those pit

[26:56] that reason - that’s why we’re here.

[26:59] Okay, just to back up for a sec.

[27:02] We all know about abandoned mines.

[27:03] A company would work a mine until either the

[27:08] would just walk away.

[27:10] In the case of open-cut mines like Reefton,

[27:15] to create artificial bodies of water.

[27:17] Pit lakes, or quarry lakes, are exceptionally

[27:23] that we’ll just put up on screen here for

[27:25] The majority of fatalities at abandoned mines

[27:31] You may also be familiar with famous sites

[27:35] Berkeley’s pit lake is so contaminated by

[27:41] “mined” directly from the lake water.

[27:43] This makes the water toxic, and if the pit

[27:48] gatorade will spill into the general water

[27:54] In response the US Environmental Protection

[27:59] reach that critical level, so the water must

[28:05] even with that over the years they’ve had

[28:11] it’s really hard to keep water from getting

[28:17] The Berkeley Pit is a particularly high profile

[28:22] out there, each with their own risk factors.

[28:25] Believe it or not Tom Scott hasn’t even

[28:29] This is not a minor problem, this is one of

[28:35] the thing you are doing at an elemental level

[28:41] Until very recently it was considered progressive

[28:48] policy.

[28:49] Mining companies can leave behind a pit that

[28:53] need to put up a fence.

[28:55] Needless to say this doesn’t do much to

[29:00] Once a pit lake is established, it’s incredibly

[29:04] dealing with massive volumes of water, which

[29:09] not much care for where you do and do not

[29:14] So the solution is simple, don’t let mining

[29:19] produce a toxic pit.

[29:21] That is a complex, multi-disciplinary process.

[29:24] So, that brings us back to Reefton.

[29:27] In 2004, OceanaGold received approval to operate

[29:32] As part of this, they were subject to heavy

[29:36] of the mine- which included the posting of

[29:42] was money set aside to cover the restoration

[29:47] An operations director for the Department

[29:51] describing it as “world class”.

[29:54] Unlike mining operators in the past, OceanaGold

[29:59] ahead of time.

[30:00] They’re one of the first to make use of

[30:04] at Cardiff University.

[30:05] “By oxygenating the water before it enters

[30:11] the water comes out of solution, turning it

[30:15] The iron particulate then gently settles on

[30:20] Iron naturally attracts other metals, and

[30:25] from the water.

[30:26] The water continues its gravity fed course

[30:31] into Devils Creek.

[30:33] Extensive testing has proven that the Vertical

[30:38] and iron from the water.

[30:40] Over time, the metals will be exhausted from

[30:45] and the pods will continue to naturally spill

[30:48] I’m sorry, why wasn’t any of this in the

[30:53] The helicopter is not what makes Reefton interesting.

[30:56] It’s the ecological restoration that, literally,

[31:02] “The wooding material that we’ve placed

[31:06] little micro-climates for other species that

[31:10] as these ferns.”

[31:12] Reefton may be the best example of reclamation

[31:15] The World Gold Council must think so, otherwise

[31:19] But the doc doesn’t want to dig into the

[31:24] to celebrate what makes Reefton noteworthy

[31:31] ‘Hey, these guys have almost cracked the

[31:35] ‘Wait, what toxic pit problem?’

[31:37] It’s also hard to overlook the fact that

[31:42] in New Zealand, South Korea, and the USA.

[31:45] You know, wealthy nations.

[31:47] It’s one thing for New Zealand to strong-arm

[31:52] to a national park, but what about countries

[31:56] Human rights organizations have repeatedly

[32:00] rights around their Didipio mine dating back

[32:07] and arson, and have repeatedly recommended

[32:12] It was not.

[32:13] And the UN has denounced the “unnecessary

[32:18] local residents as recently as 2020.

[32:22] Can Filipino residents expect OceanaGold to

[32:27] to restore their land?

[32:29] Odds aren’t great!

[32:31] The work being done at Reefton is interesting

[32:36] sense of the word.

[32:37] The documentary went to New Zealand to cherry

[32:42] but still managed to stuff it up.

[32:44] The documentary is only willing to engage

[32:49] restoration - specifically the tree planting.

[32:52] “It’s really just gardening.

[32:55] But supersized.”

[32:57] In its brief runtime, the documentary focuses

[33:03] not what the restoration project is about.

[33:06] “So we’re not trying to hide the fact

[33:10] our best to put it back.”

[33:12] The community doesn’t need the mine’s

[33:17] to clean up their crap and avoid poisoning

[33:23] But the documentary would leave viewers believing

[33:28] planting trees around an inevitable hazard.

[33:31] The documentary manages to misrepresent both

[33:35] It omits the actual reason why closed mines

[33:41] restoration being carried out at the site.

[33:44] The result is that the environmental activists

[33:48] are pissed off, and you, the viewer, are bored.

[33:51] This sucks.

[33:53] Once the doc is satisfied that it has addressed

[33:57] as a thing, it’s happy to drop the pretense

[34:01] 15 minutes.

[34:02] Idris is given a tour of the Bank of England.

[34:05] “I’ve got an appointment with the bank’s

[34:10] One of the very few people with access to

[34:14] Sarah John.”

[34:16] Anyway, Idris gawks at gold bullion for a

[34:23] discuss the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

[34:25] “On the 26th of December, 2004, there was

[34:31] The Boxing Day tsunami is the deadliest natural

[34:37] confirmed deaths in Indonesia alone, mostly

[34:42] “But in Aceh, there was something unusual

[34:48] You see, most people didn’t have saving

[34:53] Instead, they had gold ingots and jewellery,

[35:02] and start putting their lives back together.”

[35:07] So we get that little gold nugget, before

[35:12] jeweller.

[35:13] “Abtin Abbasi, or Abs for short, is part

[35:19] Hop.

[35:20] “Like you know it’s not like it’s ever

[35:22] It’s the same thing.

[35:24] Buying gold, they’re investments.”

[35:25] The final segment is functionally an ad for

[35:29] still in their speculative stages before the

[35:33] “So, the story of gold.

[35:35] To me, it’s really a love story.

[35:38] Like all romances, it’s had its up and downs.”

[35:42] What downs Idris?

[35:44] What downs?

[35:45] What do you think the downs might be?

[35:47] Here, here, I’ve got my notes ready to go,

[35:52] “They’re all part of our relationship

[35:59] Hey, is this getting weird for anyone else?

[36:03] The core audience for the documentary has

[36:07] Your standard Goldbugs have lovebombed the

[36:10] Like crypto bros and Apes, there is a vested

[36:14] a tool of propaganda, leading to the same

[36:19] On the complete other end of the spectrum,

[36:23] to the film with outright hostility.

[36:25] Framing it as a deliberate misinformation

[36:31] that may be.

[36:32] “I’m willing to bet your coming WGC gold

[36:37] cartoon.

[36:38] You won’t dare to try to choke down some

[36:41] current day canard of modern day gold price

[36:45] But for us, the documentary’s cardinal sin

[36:49] A documentary on gold could be interesting,

[36:53] But this is what you get when filmmakers try

[36:59] industry.

[37:00] The potential is there, but the documentary

[37:04] it cannot stray.

[37:06] Gold is so culturally significant in India

[37:11] That’s fascinating, but if you really dug

[37:15] dowry thing, and your American investors might

[37:21] not say anything, just talk about how pretty

[37:25] If we praise Reefton’s water quality, then

[37:29] toxic pit lakes that we normally leave behind

[37:32] “Wait, what toxic pit problem?”

[37:34] So better to just focus on the trees.

[37:37] Corporate interests smother the compelling

[37:42] form.

[37:43] Essential material is absent, and what material

[37:48] Funny thing is that this isn’t even the

[37:53] In 2021 they released a miniseries called

[37:57] Wait, sorry, not a miniseries, a “landmark

[38:03] impact on humanity’s past, present and future.”

[38:07] The hook for this one was that they found

[38:11] or another, aerospace and the like, and then

[38:16] “Gold is critically important to make MOXY

[38:23] But it’s all the same problem, there are

[38:28] just tell a story where gold is a thematic

[38:33] subjects, you need gold to be the main character.

[38:37] So the whole thing turns into a parade of

[38:42] projects as though the most important thing

[38:48] Like, sure, we detected gravitational waves,

[38:54] how colliding neutron stars generate a lot

[38:58] “What scientists saw that day was gold being

[39:02] The gold created in this collision will cycle

[39:08] form part of another planet”

[39:10] The impression isn’t that gold is a kinda

[39:15] physical properties, but literally magic.

[39:17] And when I say “there are interests being

[39:23] these people are very explicit.

[39:25] It’s in the press release!

[39:26] “The purpose of the documentary is to increase

[39:31] the minds of investors and consumers alike.”

[39:34] It’s kinda maddening, I get so used to dealing

[39:39] smuggle in some ulterior agenda and the World

[39:44] “Guard it with gold.

[39:47] So when the unexpected happens and the world

[39:53] So, the thing that I find compelling here

[39:58] pieces, because the fact that someone decided

[40:02] was worth the hundreds of thousands of dollars

[40:07] Idris Elba was paid, that in and of itself

[40:12] The World Gold Council doesn’t just decide

[40:17] his face across the internet because they’re

[40:19] They don’t make a documentary about how

[40:24] they think it’s neat.

[40:26] They do it because there’s something that

[40:30] It ends up so weird and stilted because they’re

[40:35] but those ideas are completely foreign to

[40:39] I want to go back to that interview with Joe

[40:43] that these guys are just living in an alternate

[40:47] So, there’s this phrase we’re all familiar

[40:51] a gold rush, the best way to get rich in a

[40:56] to sell shovels.

[40:57] It’s kinda a dark phrase, isn’t it?

[41:00] Like, at a basic level it speaks to some grimmer

[41:04] delusion.

[41:05] It’s a phrase about crass pragmatism in

[41:12] You would think that a guy who represents

[41:17] maybe find the phrase a bit distasteful, but

[41:22] of the word.

[41:23] “You know a lot of people fail to remember

[41:27] successful and very wealthy man, and that

[41:30] There’s a bit in the story about it”

[41:31] “No, that was a great part of this movie.”

[41:33] “Yeah it’s a fun story to understand and

[41:39] mining, but it’s about everything in the

[41:42] “Yeah, it’s not just about selling shovels,

[41:46] those that are using the picks and the axes”

[41:49] There’s no sentimentality here.

[41:52] There’s money to be made.

[41:54] And the thing is that Joe is ultimately a

[41:57] Like, okay, on one hand Joe represents companies

[42:03] shovels.

[42:04] But the people digging up literal gold aren’t

[42:10] panic-buying machine parts.

[42:12] The entire thesis of the World Gold Council

[42:17] in a turbulent market.

[42:19] It’s not just a thing for cranks and weirdos

[42:23] trapped shed, gold is for slick, elegant,

[42:27] Ordinary, yet classy.

[42:29] The WGC wants you to know that this could

[42:34] “Gold is everyone’s asset.”

[42:36] We live in turbulent times, and the market

[42:40] path for building wealth.

[42:42] That’s the gold rush, and Joe, with his

[42:48] social media ads is trying to sell you a shovel.

[42:58] [Dubstep]

[43:01] [Idris Elba auto-tuned repeating “Gold”