Western Deep

An exploration of the sensory experience of the TauTona gold mine in South Africa showing migrant labourers working in dark claustrophobic environments and the earsplitting noise of drilling The TauTona mine in South Africa known as Western Deep is the worlds deepest gold mine Employing more than 5000 people it operates twentyfour hours day The film begins in complete darkness as the miners descend threeandahalf kilometres underground McQueen documents an intense work regime where the temperature can reach over ninety degrees celsius Accompanied by jarring sounds created by the mechanical equipment Western Deep is a hellish representation of labour that makes the silent resolve of the miners all the more powerful