Bitter Gold - SIFF [2025]

Bitter Gold [2024]

Film

This film was viewed at the 51st Seattle International Film Festival

At just sixteen, Carola (Katalina Sánchez) isn’t concerned with school or teenage distractions—she’s too busy running her father Pacifico’s (Francisco Melo) copper mine with a crew of men and little more than rudimentary equipment. She couldn't have predicted the position she'd be put in after an altercation with one of Pacifico's workers sees him injured, unable to work, or that the workers are growing in their discontent of following Carola. Juan Francisco Olea's Bitter Gold takes these unexpected twists and turns of life and weaves them into a gripping neo-western that plays it cool on the surface. But just beneath the sediment, tensions are boiling in a maelstrom of fragile masculinity, dark secrets and greed for power and gold.

“Where there’s gold, the devil shows,” is the warning of one of Carola's workers when the mineshaft next door is taken over by a rival miner with rumors of gold swirling about. It's not the first metaphor used by the team of writers (Francisco Hervé, Moisés Sepúlveda, María Luida Furche, Agustín Toscano, Nicolás Wellmann) for how greed rears its ugly head, but it's the most literal. But the devil takes many forms in Olea's film, and while it doesn't result in a fast-paced, action packed sequences about warring miners, the entertainment factor is there all the same. Shot on location in the Atacama Desert, Bitter Gold is a sensational viewing experience as the gorgeous desert hills roll past Carola and Pacifico on their way to the mine. Pairing the wide-open desolate landscape with the claustrophobic interior of the mines constructs a horrifying clash of perspectives. The perceived freedom they have driving across the expanse comes crashing down when we enter the mines, the walls looking as if they're continually closing in around Carola and Pacifico. Cinematographer Sergio Armstrong does incredible work here with the aerial shots and some sublime lighting in the mines. A classic trick of using muzzle flash from gunfire be the only light in the mines during the film's early conflict provides a great spark for the paranoia and feelings of being trapped.

As level as Olea's film unwinds, never veering too far into fast or slow, it's carried by Sánchez's powerful performance as the 16-year old Carola that finds herself with the weight of the mountains on her shoulders. She navigates fragile male egos—many of whom are day laborers bound only by spoken trust—and strained relationships, particularly with her godfather (Daniel Antivilo), who embodies the opportunistic instincts that pervade Bitter Gold.

Unfortunately, the ending left me wanting more. The unraveling within the third act works perfectly to propel Carola's life into chaos, and we're well positioned for an explosive finale. But its execution failed to add to the suspense of the rising hostilities, the lure of riches, and the shadowy secret buried deep below. Instead, Olea continued to use his steady hand, which while that worked for most of the film, doesn't quite reach the same heights here. Though the film’s final moments strike with less force than expected, Olea’s Bitter Gold still shines with striking imagery, thematic weight, and a breakout performance from Sánchez—proof that there’s treasure to be found in slow-burning storytelling.

Froth

Bitter Gold? You already know this one has to be paired with an IPA, I mean come on. So of course I'm going to go with Varietal Beer Company's Time Reflection, a West Coast IPA. Swinging a solid 7% ABV, this brew is a bit of a heavy-hitter but that doesn't prevent it from being crushable or refreshing. Its strength takes a back seat in the flavor profile, allowing the bitterness (bitter gold am I right) and bright citrus flavors to be more prominent. A dry-hopping of Vista, El Dorado and Krush packs on more tropical accents like a pinch of watermelon, pear, and even a little lime craziness. Overall its a decently bitter beer, nothing too crazy though, and with each sip that bitter taste just reminds you of the upcoming gold. Lovely, lovely gold.