"1897, Lota, Chile." "Here, beneath the sea, thousands of men." "One generation after the next, have toiled beneath the land, extracting coal for the mining company" "We're going to need at least twice as many wheelbarrows." "Firedamp!" "Stop working!" "Explosion!" "Help!" "Son?" "Miguel?" "My son?" "I told you that the Chiflón would be the death of him!" "Leave him alone." "Fernando!" "Let me go, dammit!" "Somebody had to do something to stop this unending atrocity." "Somebody had to tell the worl about life underground." "Based on the novel by the same name written by Baldomero Lillo." "A gloomy silence interrupted by the occasional distant weeping spread across the land and blew through the air, jarring hearts like an omen of death." "What's the matter, nephew?" "I'm scared, uncle, my brother looks green." "I am so sorry, sister." "Thank you." "Fernando" "Shall we go on, miss?" "There's a barbecue Sunday at the Tavern." "Sunday is for resting, old man." "Are you going to keep up this stupidity, Jonas?" "Better that being scared to death like you sissies." "Stop stirring things up, they're watching you." "Oh!" "Virginia." "Godmother, I'm so glad to see you." "I brought you letters from your children" "Where's my mother?" "Is she better?" "When?" "Why didn't you tell me?" "The tuberculosis took her away in a few days, ...you were already on your way." "Luis brought in the best doctor from Concepción, but it was all in vain." "Your mother was a very well-loved teacher ...in this town, a lot of people went to her funeral." "Electricity, my friend, the power to light up the night." "The truth is I don't understand much about this strange new invention." "It's simple my friend, the world changes, new technology, new ideas." "It's called progress." "You wanted to talk to me, Don Luis." "Looks like its time to stop dreaming." "Five more dead." "Really, Davis, the new chiflón has got me worried." "It was a firedamp explosion, an accident." "Too many accidents, maybe we should close it." "No!" "The ground is tough, but the lode is rich, better than the others." "Alright, we'll look into it, you can go Davis." "What, didn't you hear me?" "!" "The miners are going to meet in Lota." "And what's so terrible about that?" "A group of anarchist agitators are stirring things up in Concepción." "They've taken over general stores, it could spread here." "OK, take care of it." "But be discreet." "Fernando Gutiérrez." "Fernando Gutiérrez." "This is a lot less than what I earned." "You have twenty cents in fines, they deducted 11 wheelbarrows with impurities." "Ramiro Galdames." "Ramiro Galdames, fifteen days at ten cents, you have a five cent fine for three wheelbarrows." "A five cent fine?" "Here's what's left." "But that's hardly anything, sir." "This is not the complaints department." "Guards!" "Take him away!" "How many tokens did you get?" "Look, the assholes, thieves." "Don't get annoyed, mate, let's get some drinks." "The unyielding struggle without respite quickly turned the youngest and strongest into decrepit old men." "There in the damp hole, backs were bent and muscles gave out," "but hunger, hunger had a sting far worse than the whip." "Taken from the bowels of the earth itself." "Fernando, my friend, you remembered, thank you." "What do you want this rock for, Don Baldomero?" "Let's just say inspiration." "So you're still sitting around killing time." "Yes, I was just scribbling a few things down." "What are you writing?" "Stop with all the questions." "Apologize to the kid." "You know these are my things, I don't like..." "Why so short-tempered, mate?" "Show him." "Read it." "No, I can't." "You read it." "Let's see:" "Crawling along on their hands and knees, the miners moved deeper into the narrow tunnels." "Incessant pounding could be heard everywhere, the dull thud of the pick wearing away at the lode." "Dull laments arose from the pits where the passing glow from the lamps flickered on and off like dauntless beacons in the shadows of the night." "Pretty!" "Hey, but I don't understand a damn thing." "It's just a rough draft." "One day I'll have to go down in the pit and see the mine for myself." "I'll get you whatever you need right away." "You better take care of these customers." "Come on Baldomero, dammit, less talk and more business." "What do the gentlemen want?" "I want a sack of flour." "Ma'am, what would you like?" "I'll have a large packet of yerba mate, please." "Don't you have any more tokens?" "No mate, no more tokens." "The boss said if he catches me selling on credit he'll fire me." "What's going on over there, Baldomero?" "No no, sir, nothing." "Don Baldomero, so does your boss know you're writing that stuff?" "Of course not, that's my private business." "Then give us the goods or otherwise." "Alright." "What did you say you wanted?" "A sack of flour for me please, Don Baldomero." "Here's your sack of flour, sir." "And a large packet of yerba mate for me." "Please, Baldomero." "Please." "Here you go." "Now get out of here you shameless rogues, traitors, get out of here, blackmailers." "Thank you Baldomero." "Hey don't complain so much, you'll go grey." "You watch it!" "You have no respect!" "The dauntless beacons arose from the depths." "How are you Don Juan?" "Virginia." "Yes?" "Can you come here a minute?" "Let's go." "I'd like you to try this wine from our vineyard in Santiago." "Try it Virginia, this wine is Luis's pride and joy." "Come here, my child." "So what do you think of this gem, this is my pride and joy." "First rate engineering, my girl." "But these machines are already out of date in the United States." "According to my friend Edison, his new big invention is a machine that lets you capture motion, the cinematograph, the new craze." "What do you think of the wine?" "It's very good." "Mother." "Come on Gabriel, get up, its your turn." "Get up man." "Ready, Don Jonas." "Wait a minute." "I told you those meetings were a waste of time." "Come on, get up you lazy shit, I want to go to bed." "Your identification." "Next." "Hey friend." "Comrade." "I feel sorry for Fernando, but he also makes me angry." "Betterjust forget about him, Don Jonas." "Otilio." "My friend, keep a look out here and let me know if you see any strangers." "Remember you have until eleven o'clock when the foremen come." "Relax, relax, Don Jonas." "I can't take any more of that Gringo asshole's abuse." "He's paying next to nothing per wheelbarrow." "Its not the Gringo's fault, is it?" "It's the young ones who work until they burst." "You're the one who's got to stop working, old man." "Hey, show some respect." "Shut up kid." "What we've got to do is grab the picks, the shovels, and go after the Gringo." "Since when are you so brave?" "We've all seen you kiss up to the Gringo." "Yes yes Don Mister whatever you say, boss, whatever you need patrón." "What's the matter with you?" "Just telling it like I see it." "I think we've got to really mix things up." "Quiet." "Quiet brothers." "This isn't about everyone splitting up, we've got to have one single voice to..." "What are you promising hem now... paradise?" "We are trapped here for the rest of our lives." "And you think ten old barefoot men are going to stop the Gringo?" "Now you show up?" "You drunken bum." "This is like a circus, Jonas." "Let's go." "Listen Listen, comrades, it's important that we organize, we've got to..." "This is going nowhere." "Don't leave." "Don't all leave together." "No one can do this, Jonas." "So Virginia, what have you decided?" "I'm not a teacher, Godmother, I wouldn't know what to teach." "We can't leave these kids to God's will." "Anything you can teach them, Virginia, will be useful." "What about my studies?" "I have to go back to Barcelona in a few months to finish my degree." "That's fine, Virginia, while you're in charge of the school, it will give me enough time to bring in a teacher from Santiago." "So it's all settled then, Virginia, you'll start on Monday." "If it's alright with you Isidora, I'll get a crew of miners to fix up the school in the meantime." "Alright, fine, now look over here." "What is your name?" "Carmen" "And what is your name?" "Rogelio" "Maria" "Great, next please." "What is your name?" "Pablo" "Alright, now stand still for the picture." "Stand perfectly still Pablo." "I can't." "Why not?" "I have worms, miss." "What?" "Worms!" "DA-GUE-RREO-TYPE" "Here's another word." "Read it." "OR-NY-THO-RHIN-CHUS" "Alright, if you learn the hard words first, then the easy ones, you won't have any problems." "Here's the last one." "Read here." "Sar-sa-pa-ri-lla" "Everyone get your books out and copy these words down." "Little Worm, come over here." "It looks like your dad is here to fix the school." "Come on." "That's not my dad, that's my uncle Fernando, and my name's not little Worm," "Fernando?" "Yes ma'am." "Fernando Gutiérrez?" "That's me." "Don't you recognize me?" "I am Virginia." "Good morning miss Virginia." "You're not the same person you used to be, you're someone else entirely now." "Well, I took out the braids I used as a girl, but except that I'm still the same." "No." "You're a high class lady now, you belong to the owners." "I definitely am not the same stupid girl as before, but I don't belong to anyone." "They're sweethearts" "What are you doing here?" "Get back inside, go on, get back inside." "Give me names." "Give me names." "If you don't, what good are you to me." "I can't use the tokens, patrón." "I need cash to get out of Lota." "You want cash?" "Then give me names." "Give me names!" "Dammit!" "Colorín." "The redhead?" "Speak properly." "The copper top, patrón." "Who else?" "I don't know about anyone else, I swear." "When you get me names of the ringleaders then you'll get your money." "Now, get out of here, I want to be alone." "Where are you going?" "Lola told me to be back by ten, it's already eleven." "She knows you're with me." "The only thing Lola knows is that she's got two women to take care of a lot of clients." "When you're here, you're not available for anyone else, that was the deal with Lola." "Mister?" "And the necklace you promised me?" "You'll get it, you'll get it." "When I do, we'll see." "Who put this beam in?" "Cat got your tongue?" "You, Redhead!" "Come here!" "Move!" "Move!" "Look here!" "Yes sir." "Look." "Yes." "You want to kill us all," "Look Look Look," "Foreman, assign this good-for nothing to the Chiflón del Diablo." "In half an hour I want to see a new beam here." "Yes boss" "A drink?" "Don't keep torturing yourself, mate." "One day Davis will pay for everything he's done." "No no." "Now what's the matter?" "The Chiflón is dangerous." "Well, what isn't dangerous around here?" "I was the coward, right?" "Can I ask you a favor?" "Promise my mother will never know about this," "I don't want her to know." "I promise." "My son, what day is it today?" "Sunday, mamita." "...are you working Sundays now?" "No," "I have to fix some tools." "My son, why don't you bring me some yerba mate." "We're out of tokens, mamita." "There's so much wind, you can hear it." "This really is the devil's cave." "This pit is seeping in on all sides." "Come on, we've got to get down to the bottom to strengthen it." "Open the door!" "Open the door!" "You dammed woman!" "What were you buying in the town, what were you buying?" "No, not me." "Check the place." "Call my son." "Leave her alone!" "Go on." "Call my son." "What's going on here?" "This woman bought something down in Lota." "This is it." "You bought a packet of yerba mate down in Lota?" "No, Liar!" "They saw you in town." "Call my son." "Don't waste any more of our time." "Did you buy the yerba in Lota, yes or no?" "Go get Baldomero." "You lie, you crazy old lady!" "You bought it," "Admit it!" "You bought it!" "Admit it!" "We're not in the mine here, mister Davis." "Let go, this is also company property, you forget that." "She bought this yerba in a non-company store, it's contraband." "Baldomero gave her this yerba mate." "You lie!" "Storekeeper..." "Did you give her the yerba mate?" "Give who?" "Who else?" "This old lady." "Yes sir," "I gave it to her, it's from my house." "You better leave, patrón," "Maria de los Angeles is a mother to all of us." "We'll see you in the mine, Gutiérrez, you'll pay for this." "Take it easy." "It's alright." "Hello, how are you?" "I'm glad you came to the party, miss Virginia." "Thank you." "We're going to eat fish later." "Miss Virginia come and drink a toast with us." "Excuse me." "What are you celebrating?" "Nothing, it's Sunday and some of us don't work." "Miss Virginia, meet some of my friends, old Jonas is a real relic of Lota." "Nice to meet you." "Miss Goyenechea, right?" "No, my name is Prado, Virginia Prado." "I thought you were a relative of the owner." "No, I was born here, too, Doña Isidora is my godmother." "Jonas, she is the daughter of the old schoolteacher." "So I suppose you have convinced all the children that they'll live in a palace like you when they grow up." "Leave her alone, man." "I can defend myself." "Fernando" "Teacher look!" "Little Worm!" "What are you doing there?" "Taking Daguerrotypes, be still." "Alright." "Dance with me." "Alright." "Fernando, let's dance." "No, no Idon't dance." "Come on Fernando." "Go on and dance." "Do you have a handkerchief?" "Hey, what happened?" "I'm coming." "Here's the beam," "how thick is the half beam?" "An eight of a yard." "Cut it..." "Careful!" "Hold on mate..." "It's giving way." "It's going to fall." "Help!" "It's going to fall." "Help!" "Accident in the Chiflón, come on" "My sweet child," "close your eyes." "Mamita." "My friend... my friend my friend" "They killed them when they sent my friend to the Chiflón" "I should have put a stop to it but I didn't." "I am so sorry." "It's alright." "I'm glad that you're back." "The mine owners, the miners, each defending their own interests." "They don't understand anything," "I am tired of these situations I have to deal with." "I had to use an iron fist." "If I hadn't the whole mine would have fallen apart." "Take it easy, mister." "The old man took the boy by the hand and started walking..." "Ready?" "Let him drink his tea." "Mama, I don't want to go to the mine!" "Mama, I don't want to go to the mine!" "Mama, Mama." "Let's go Pablo." "I don't want to." "Let's go." "I don't want to." "Pablo, come on come on." "Let's go." "Daddy, no." "Daddy, I don't want to, daddy." "Pablo instinctively clung to his father's leg" "His ears were ringing and he felt a strange sense of anguish." "Thank you, Don Pedro" "Good morning, Rosario." "Teacher!" "Come with me, Don Pedro." "Godmother, what good is the school in Lota if we have no students?" "First, calm down and have a little respect, Virginia." "How do you expect me to calm down when I just saw Pablito with his father dressed like a miner, he's only nine years old." "It's not our fault if his parents aren't happy with what they earn." "You are the ones that let the children work." "Let's see," "For your information, Virginia, when Don Matias Cousiño came here, there was nothing, just a few poor fishermen and farmers." "The mine brought people here and gave them a livelihood." "We gave them a hospital, a priest, a general store so they don't have to go into town." "Brick and ceramic factories where the women can work and the child nutrition center for the neediest children." "Tell, me Virginia, if we also offer them a school and they would rather send them children to the mine what can we do?" "They are free." "Please, what freedom are you talking about?" "Come here." "This is him." "That's fine, I'll show him." "If you want." "I also started to work in the mine when I was eight" "Look, you lean on the door and you push as hard as you can with your back." "Come on, you can do it." "Harder, harder." "Come on, open the door." "Come on, push push." "Open the door." "Push!" "Come on!" "Push!" "What's wrong with the door, dammit?" "Harder, come on push, come on push!" "Push dammit." "Son, you are a miner now." "Every time a cart comes, you open the door." "Daddy I don't want to, daddy daddy no!" "A miner never leaves his workplace." "When the shift is over, we'll go home together." "Daddy." "Daddy." "What's wrong with the door?" "Come on, what's wrong with the door, open it, dammit." "What the hell did you do with Pablito?" "We have to eat." "He's 8 and has got to start earning his own keep." "Do you want him to end up buried here like the rest of us?" "Stay out of it." "Pablito is my son and I'll do what I want with him." "He's part of my family too." "You have no family." "Here comes the foreman." "If anything happens to Pablito, you're going to pay the price." "What the hell's going on here?" "Everyone back to work." "Good afternoon." "Can you tell me where I can find Pablito Castro's mother?" "She's washing clothes." "Miss Virginia, what a nice surprise, what can I do for you?" "I'd like to talk to you alone." "Don't worry about the neighbors here, go ahead and talk." "I can't believe you let Pablito stop going to school." "Sorry, but my husband makes the decisions." "But aren't you the mother?" "But what the capitan says..." "Sorry to stick my nose in, but as a miner's son, the only school here is the mine, the rest are just Doña Isidora's inventions." "Sit down over here, stay with us a while, sit down." "The miner's wife waits here until the shift gets out." "And only then after the mine is it her turn, and of course by then he's dragging his feet behind him." "And as long as you're here drinking yerba mate have some" "Thank you." "In this town there are no secrets." "We're miner's wives, we like to sit around and talk and drink mate." "And in the end there are no secrets, miss Virginia, you see." "Well, I think I need to get going." "No, no" "Stay a while, the shift is almost over." "And in case you are interested, Don Fernando is all alone." "Fernando, my brother." "Of course." "He's been so unfortunate, he stopped smiling and took up drinking." "Here comes the crew." "Come on over here." "Come here, let's give him a surprise." "Mercedes." "Mercedes, how could you let them take Pablito into the mine, haven't I asked you a thousand times to protect the kid?" "Eduardo..." "Miss Virginia, what are you doing here?" "She came to look for you." "We have to do something to stop the kids from going to the mine." "We are going to do something, we're going to put an end to this, I swear." "You?" "What are you going to do?" "Put an end to the gringo's years of abuse." "We're going to organize, we're going to strike to make them realice they have to respect us one way or another." "No That could be dangerous." "That's up to us." "Miss Virginia..." "Miss Virginia." "Promise you'll be careful." "I've been careful for too long." "Miss Virginia." "Are you alright?" "Yes, Don Pedro, Let's go." "He already had tuberculosis when he set out on his trip, ...and it only worsened with the climate in Peru." "The next few hours are critical, Mrs. Isidora." "We need you to write up a document and have it legalized in Concepción." "What you are asking me to do is very dangerous." "I know, but you are the only one who can help us, we don't have anyone else." "Good evening, Fernando." "Good evening, Mrs. Natividad." "Would you like some tea?" "No, thank you." "A miners' association in Lota would be crazy, Fernando," "I'd rik everything ...my family, my job, my whole life." "You understand, don't you?" "Of course I understand." "Fine" "I'm sorry I wasted your time." "Hey, mate." "It will be an honor to help you." "We all know that the gringo won't stand for lists of demands or complaints, and everything will remain the same unless we take serious action." "Serious action against the gringo?" "Talking isn't enough, we have to take a stand once and for all." "Let's see what the owners do when they See us with picks at the mine entrance." "We'll see if they're so tough then." "Calm down." "Calm down, calm down." "Quiet" "Jonas and I believe there's no need for violence." "We just have to show how strong in numbers we are." "How?" "We have to organize a protest and form a miner's association." "That's really complicated." "We have someone to help us write it up and legally register it." "Now we need to know how many of you are with us." "Raise your hands those of you who are willing to keep going with this." "I am listening." "Fernando Gutierrez is the leader of the group, patrón, ...and they're going to have Baldomero draft a document for the miners' association and write a list of demands." "Damn grocer." "I should have gotten rid of him ages ago." "A miners' association?" "Assholes!" "I've got to stop them now before these assholes get the better of us." "What was that?" "I don't know." "Stay here," "I'll go and see what it is." "No!" "Yes." "Don't go." "Stay here, it's alright." "Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" "Let's go!" "Not my stories!" "Assholes!" "Not my stories!" "Baldomero." "Assholes!" "Are you all right, my dear?" "Calm down, don't cry." "What did they steal?" "No, no, they're not thieves." "They're Mister Davis' thugs." "Mister Davis?" "What are you mixed up in?" "The miners need help and I..." "And what?" "What do they want you to do?" "Baldomero, what did you do?" "Nothing!" "My whole life I've never done anything important." "And us?" "We're nothing?" "Natividad!" "Natividad!" ""Miners' Association"" "Leave those towels Isidora, it's useless" "Before I took ill," "I arranged the Shipping permits for the power plant machinery," "It should arrive next week." "It's already here, Luis, don't worry." "It was a nice dream." "Adrianita?" "She's here with Virginia." "With who?" "With our goddaughter, remember?" "No." "They said ours was a marriage of convenience, that we were going to hate each other" "Here we are, thirty years later still in love." "Thirty years putting up with your quirks." "And me obeying you in everything." "It's been a very happy life, my darling" "It's been?" "It still is." "Miss, there's someone outside looking for you." "Virginia." "Get out of here you crazy fool." "Let me talk to him." "He's crazy, miss." "Please go away, Don Pedro." "Fernando, what happened to you?" "Ask your family." "Ask them what?" "Why did you betray me?" "What are you talking about?" "You're the only one who knew of our plans." "Tell your family that they'll never see us begging on hands and knees." "Fernando, Fernando, come back." "Isidora." "Yes my dear." "Blow out the candles." "It's bright" "Luis, look at me, look at me." "Look at me, I'm here, Luis." "What are you doing here?" "Let me in Jonas." "You shouldn't be here." "And you think you can just show up at my house yelling and I'll just sit there with my arms crossed." "Your house?" "I swear I didn't tell a soul, I have no idea who did." "Your godparents run this town, don't they?" "They aren't capable of something like that." "They're capable of that and much more, but since you're one of them now, you don't know anything," "you poor naive girl." "You'd better get out of here." "You're never going to believe me." "Wait." "Sorry," "I shouldn't have gotten you involved in this, maybe you made a comment without realizing it." "Never betrayed you." "You've never betrayed me?" "Then why did you go to Spain?" "They made me go, I was a girl, you know I didn't want to." "You are so beautiful." "Ohhh, it's gorgeous." "Now you have what you want, its your turn to hold up your end of the bargain." "You promised you'd come to live here." "I never promised that." "That's the price." "Give it to someone else." "NO!" "I think our most important demand is the reduction of the workday from 14 to 12 hours." "They can't keep knocking off wheelbarrows because of the tuff, the tuff is in the mine, plus they can still use it." "What are you doing here, girl?" "Excuse me Jonas." "I need to talk to Don Fernando Gutierrez." "Fernando Gutierrez isn't here, but you can talk to us." "Who's this?" "It's the gringo's whore." "I need to tell you something very important." "The gringo has been paying Eduardo Castro for information on all your meetings." "I knew that asshole was up to no good." "What?" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "You know what they do to informants in the mine." "Mrs. Isidora, good morning, welcome, allow me." "Mrs. Isidora, welcome." "What a surprise." "I've come to see the mine facilities that Luis never let me enter." "Miners don't like women in the mine, ma'am, they say its a bad omen." "Superstitions." "Women can't enter mine property, but the owner can." "I will be in charge of the mine from now on, Mister Davis." "Whatever you say, ma'am." "Do you have the document, Baldomero?" "Yes." "Its draindown time at the mine, I don't have much time." "They brought this from Concepción this morning." "The miner's association is in place, Fernando." "Thank you, mate." "You're going to have to find a new grocer to give you credit." "Why?" "What's the matter?" "I'm going to Santiago to try my luck with my stories." "Ohh." "Well, thank you for everything Baldomero." "The coal miners will always be grateful to you." "Thank you, mate." "Everyone, gather around," "I would like to say a few words." "In the days following my husband, Luis Cousiño's tragic death," "We feel deeply moved by this act dedicated to him." "For our family ...It's a great honor to inaugurate here in Lota ...The first Chilean hydroelectric plant." "It's also the fulfiment of luis' greatest dream." "I'm Coming." "With the miner's association formed and our list of demands, they cannot deny us." "Come on Jonas, it's now or never." "Fernando." "I have something to tell you, although I swore to your mother I'd never tell you, but since we don't know what's going to happen now..." "What?" "You know that in 1876, there was a major miners' strike, and that your father was the head of the movement." "Afterwards, we never saw him again," "not because he ran out of town, that was a story your mother made up to protect you from hate," "but because he was beaten to death and then thrown to the sea." "It was Davis, damn Davis." "Come on." "Take this, it's a long trip." "Pablo." "Let's take the document to the office and deliver it into the hands of the patrones," "but no rioting." "Let's go." "Rifles out," "prepare your weapons" "Come on," "Go ahead, Don Juan." "Well" "The moment has arrived." "This was Don Luis's ultimate dream." "There's a problem at the mine." "I have to go, Don Carlos." "Gutierrez!" "On the ground!" "I've been waiting for you, Gutierrez," "I knew one of these days you'd fall on your own." "And what are you going to do, Captain?" "Kill me?" "If necessary, yes." "Don't shoot!" "What is going on here." "Ma'am, this man is a very dangerous anarchist." "He looks quite defenseless to me." "Ma'am, may I remind you that it was your very company that called us in." "Its seems that I am not speaking clearly enough for you." "And you all, you don't need to cause such a scandal just to talk to me." "What do you want?" "There is our list of demands." "I will read your list of demands carefully and let you know my decision." "That is all, gentleman, go back to work." "We will be at our posts, ma'am, but we won't go back to work until you give us an answer." "That is what we promised our wives and children." "You are Fernando Gutierrez, aren't you?" "Yes I am." "Capitan, take care of him." "Arrest the troublemaker." "You can't do this!" "Godmother, when are you going to lift the accusation against Fernando Gutierrez?" "You should go back to Spain, Virginia." "And leave Fernando, no, I love him, godmother." "But don't you realize that this relationship is the whim of a spoiled child?" "." "It's a scandal." "You know what the real scandal is?" "That you live in this palace so peacefully, surrounded by maids, thanks to the suffering of the miners." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "Please let him go." "Alright, alright, but help me fulfill your mother's desires." "Fernando." "My love." "This movement can't be stopped, they can lock me or Jonas up but nothing will stop us." "I spoke to my godmother..." "I don't need anything from Doña Isidora." "Nothing." "How long are you going to stand by them?" "My dear, come with me, we have so many things to do together, we are just getting started." "Everything will be different, I promise." "I'm going to Spain." "What are you saying?" "I have to finish my studies." "Forgive me forgive me, please, please," "I love you," "please." "Miss Virginia." "You have angels watching over you, Gutierrez." "You are free," "but I am warning you, one more time... and I'll crusch you" "Did you hear me?" "Teacher, Teacher!" "What are you doing here?" "Teacher, the older children say you are leaving town." "I have to go to Spain, dear." "No!" "Why?" "Miss Virginia, if we don't leave now, we'll miss the train in Concepción." "Alright, Don Pedro." "Goodbye my child." "Let's go." "Teacher, listen." "Daguerreotype!" "Sarsaparilla!" "Ornithorhynchus!" "Give my response to the miners." "What you're doing will bring consequences that even you can't control" "I am just following my heart, Mister Davis." "The mine doesn't run with the heart, ma'am." "After this they will always ask for more always more, their needs are infinite." "Do as I say, that's an order." "I won't do it, it's humiliating." "How dare you?" "You never would have spoken like that to Don Luis!" "Don Luis?" "While I broke my back to make the mine run as it should," "Don Luis fixed clocks, ma'am." "Foreman, deliver this envelope immediately." "As you wish, excuse me ma'am." "You have gone too far this time, Mister Davis." "You're fired." "My uncle Fernando?" "He's down in the mine." "The foreman." "Doña Isidora sent this, for the miners' association of Lota." "Open it!" "No, we have to take it to Fernando." "I'll take it." "He's in the Chiflón del Diablo with the other miners." "Quickly." "Comen here!" "Quickly!" "Yes Mister Davis." "I'll show them!" "Don Pedro, stop." "Uncle!" "Pablito!" "What are you doing here?" "Here, they sent this for you." "Thanks mate." "Uncle, miss Bresquiña is leaving Lota." "Right now that doesn't matter." "We have an answer." "I 'm done." "Therefore, in addition to reducing the workday starting next month and paying a minimum wage to each miner," "I declare a full prohibition on minors in the mine site from this day forth, signed Doña Isidora." "Did we win, uncle?" "You won, my friend." "Come on boys, let's go join the rest outside." "She will pay for this." "They will all pay." "She will pay for this." "What's wrong?" "We have an answer." "Let's go outside." "Fernando Gutierrez, where the hell are you?" "It's payback time, you asshole." "This is no longer your business, Davis, it's between us and Doña Isidora." "Not my business?" "It's my business dammit." "He's crazy!" "Be careful!" "Firedamp." "Firedamp." "Let's go Fernando." "Where's Pablito?" "Back there." "Come on, nephew." "Take him out of here." "What about you Fernando?" "Get him out of here." "What did you do to my father, you piece of shit gringo?" "You should have seen him crying like a girl." "By the end, he was screaming for us to stop beating him." "Lying pig." "This mine is my life, you'll never get away with this, never." "We already beat you Davis." "Or didn't you notice?" "Come on, Firedamp, firedamp." "Get out." "What happened?" "Explosion in the mine." "Pablito, stay here with the teacher." "We have to go back for Fernando, he's still inside." "There's one here." "Fernando," "Fernando!" "Answer me Fernando!" "Talk to me." "It's Fernando." "Fernando." "Fernando." "Fernando, my love, my love, my life." "Uncle?" "I'm here, my love," "I'm here," "my love, my love, no no." "After the tragedy, Fernando's sacrifice generated new seedlings of hope." "I decided to set out for the capital with my stories under my arm and the hope that my words would be a testimony for generations of miners," "so that one day they could discover and value how much pain how much love, and how many dreams were shared in Lota, how many lives and deaths shaped the history of this land." "For others, love linked them forever to the children of the coal mine." "Juana, Rosario, gather the children please." "Children, come over here." "Now they were able to face the future with greater dignity, with the clean smile of children of the southern tip of the world." "Look over here." "Stay very still." "In 1904, Baldomero Lillo, published the book, "Sub-Terra", which created quite a stir in society at the time for its blood-curdling accounts of coal mining." "In 1897, Isidora Goyenechea passed away in Europe." "When her remains were sent back, the people of Lota filled the streets ...in silence to say goodbye." "The State of Chile took over the coal mines, where it extracted the energy to fuel the country's industry for decades." "In the underground chambers of Lota, over two thousand miners lost their lives in explosions and accidents." "The coal mines finally closed their doors in April 1997." "Come here!" "Move!" "Move!" "Look here!" "Yes sir." "Look." "Yes." "You want to kill us all," "Look Look Look," "Foreman, assign this good-for nothing to the Chiflón del Diablo." "In half an hour I want to see a new beam here." "Yes boss" "A drink?" "Don't keep torturing yourself, mate." "One day Davis will pay for everything he's done." "No no." "Now what's the matter?" "The Chiflón is dangerous." "Well, what isn't dangerous around here?" "I was the coward, right?" "Can I ask you a favor?" "Promise my mother will never know about this," "I don't want her to know." "I promise." "My son, what day is it today?" "Sunday, mamita." "...are you working Sundays now?" "No," "I have to fix some tools." "My son, why don't you bring me some yerba mate." "We're out of tokens, mamita." "There's so much wind, you can hear it." "This really is the devil's cave." "This pit is seeping in on all sides." "Come on, we've got to get down to the bottom to strengthen it." "Open the door!" "Open the door!" "You dammed woman!" "What were you buying in the town, what were you buying?" "No, not me." "Check the place." "Call my son." "Leave her alone!" "Go on." "Call my son." "What's going on here?" "This woman bought something down in Lota." "This is it." "You bought a packet of yerba mate down in Lota?" "No, Liar!" "They saw you in town." "Call my son." "Don't waste any more of our time." "Did you buy the yerba in Lota, yes or no?" "Go get Baldomero." "You lie, you crazy old lady!" "You bought it," "Admit it!" "You bought it!" "Admit it!" "We're not in the mine here, mister Davis." "Let go, this is also company property, you forget that." "She bought this yerba in a non-company store, it's contraband." "Baldomero gave her this yerba mate." "You lie!" "Storekeeper..." "Did you give her the yerba mate?" "Give who?" "Who else?" "This old lady." "Yes sir," "I gave it to her, it's from my house." "You better leave, patrón," "Maria de los Angeles is a mother to all of us." "We'll see you in the mine, Gutiérrez, you'll pay for this." "Take it easy." "It's alright." "Hello, how are you?" "I'm glad you came to the party, miss Virginia." "Thank you." "We're going to eat fish later." "Miss Virginia come and drink a toast with us." "Excuse me." "What are you celebrating?" "Nothing, it's Sunday and some of us don't work." "Miss Virginia, meet some of my friends, old Jonas is a real relic of Lota." "Nice to meet you." "Miss Goyenechea, right?" "No, my name is Prado, Virginia Prado." "I thought you were a relative of the owner." "No, I was born here, too, Doña Isidora is my godmother." "Jonas, she is the daughter of the old schoolteacher." "So I suppose you have convinced all the children that they'll live in a palace like you when they grow up." "Leave her alone, man." "I can defend myself." "Fernando" "Teacher look!" "Little Worm!" "What are you doing there?" "Taking Daguerrotypes, be still." "Alright." "Dance with me." "Alright." "Fernando, let's dance." "No, no Idon't dance." "Come on Fernando." "Go on and dance." "Do you have a handkerchief?" "Hey, what happened?" "I'm coming." "Here's the beam," "how thick is the half beam?" "An eight of a yard." "Cut it..." "Careful!" "Hold on mate..." "It's giving way." "It's going to fall." "Help!" "It's going to fall." "Help!" "Accident in the Chiflón, come on" "My sweet child," "close your eyes." "Mamita." "My friend... my friend my friend" "They killed them when they sent my friend to the Chiflón" "I should have put a stop to it but I didn't." "I am so sorry." "It's alright." "I'm glad that you're back." "The mine owners, the miners, each defending their own interests." "They don't understand anything," "I am tired of these situations I have to deal with." "I had to use an iron fist." "If I hadn't the whole mine would have fallen apart." "Take it easy, mister." "The old man took the boy by the hand and started walking..." "Ready?" "Let him drink his tea." "Mama, I don't want to go to the mine!" "Mama, I don't want to go to the mine!" "Mama, Mama." "Let's go Pablo." "I don't want to." "Let's go." "I don't want to." "Pablo, come on come on." "Let's go." "Daddy, no." "Daddy, I don't want to, daddy." "Pablo instinctively clung to his father's leg" "His ears were ringing and he felt a strange sense of anguish." "Thank you, Don Pedro" "Good morning, Rosario." "Teacher!" "Come with me, Don Pedro." "Godmother, what good is the school in Lota if we have no students?" "First, calm down and have a little respect, Virginia." "How do you expect me to calm down when I just saw Pablito with his father dressed like a miner, he's only nine years old." "It's not our fault if his parents aren't happy with what they earn." "You are the ones that let the children work." "Let's see," "For your information, Virginia, when Don Matias Cousiño came here, there was nothing, just a few poor fishermen and farmers." "The mine brought people here and gave them a livelihood." "We gave them a hospital, a priest, a general store so they don't have to go into town." "Brick and ceramic factories where the women can work and the child nutrition center for the neediest children." "Tell, me Virginia, if we also offer them a school and they would rather send them children to the mine what can we do?" "They are free." "Please, what freedom are you talking about?" "Come here." "This is him." "That's fine, I'll show him." "If you want." "I also started to work in the mine when I was eight" "Look, you lean on the door and you push as hard as you can with your back." "Come on, you can do it." "Harder, harder." "Come on, open the door." "Come on, push push." "Open the door." "Push!" "Come on!" "Push!" "What's wrong with the door, dammit?" "Harder, come on push, come on push!" "Push dammit." "Son, you are a miner now." "Every time a cart comes, you open the door." "Daddy I don't want to, daddy daddy no!" "A miner never leaves his workplace." "When the shift is over, we'll go home together." "Daddy." "Daddy." "What's wrong with the door?" "Come on, what's wrong with the door, open it, dammit." "What the hell did you do with Pablito?" "We have to eat." "He's 8 and has got to start earning his own keep." "Do you want him to end up buried here like the rest of us?" "Stay out of it." "Pablito is my son and I'll do what I want with him." "He's part of my family too." "You have no family." "Here comes the foreman." "If anything happens to Pablito, you're going to pay the price." "What the hell's going on here?" "Everyone back to work." "Good afternoon." "Can you tell me where I can find Pablito Castro's mother?" "She's washing clothes." "Miss Virginia, what a nice surprise, what can I do for you?" "I'd like to talk to you alone." "Don't worry about the neighbors here, go ahead and talk." "I can't believe you let Pablito stop going to school." "Sorry, but my husband makes the decisions." "But aren't you the mother?" "But what the capitan says..." "Sorry to stick my nose in, but as a miner's son, the only school here is the mine, the rest are just Doña Isidora's inventions." "Sit down over here, stay with us a while, sit down." "The miner's wife waits here until the shift gets out." "And only then after the mine is it her turn, and of course by then he's dragging his feet behind him." "And as long as you're here drinking yerba mate have some" "Thank you." "In this town there are no secrets." "We're miner's wives, we like to sit around and talk and drink mate." "And in the end there are no secrets, miss Virginia, you see." "Well, I think I need to get going." "No, no" "Stay a while, the shift is almost over." "And in case you are interested, Don Fernando is all alone." "Fernando, my brother." "Of course." "He's been so unfortunate, he stopped smiling and took up drinking." "Here comes the crew." "Come on over here." "Come here, let's give him a surprise." "Mercedes." "Mercedes, how could you let them take Pablito into the mine, haven't I asked you a thousand times to protect the kid?" "Eduardo..." "Miss Virginia, what are you doing here?" "She came to look for you." "We have to do something to stop the kids from going to the mine." "We are going to do something, we're going to put an end to this, I swear." "You?" "What are you going to do?" "Put an end to the gringo's years of abuse." "We're going to organize, we're going to strike to make them realice they have to respect us one way or another." "No That could be dangerous." "That's up to us." "Miss Virginia..." "Miss Virginia." "Promise you'll be careful." "I've been careful for too long." "Miss Virginia." "Are you alright?" "Yes, Don Pedro, Let's go." "He already had tuberculosis when he set out on his trip, ...and it only worsened with the climate in Peru." "The next few hours are critical, Mrs. Isidora." "We need you to write up a document and have it legalized in Concepción." "What you are asking me to do is very dangerous." "I know, but you are the only one who can help us, we don't have anyone else." "Good evening, Fernando." "Good evening, Mrs. Natividad." "Would you like some tea?" "No, thank you." "A miners' association in Lota would be crazy, Fernando," "I'd rik everything ...my family, my job, my whole life." "You understand, don't you?" "Of course I understand." "Fine" "I'm sorry I wasted your time." "Hey, mate." "It will be an honor to help you." "We all know that the gringo won't stand for lists of demands or complaints, and everything will remain the same unless we take serious action." "Serious action against the gringo?" "Talking isn't enough, we have to take a stand once and for all." "Let's see what the owners do when they See us with picks at the mine entrance." "We'll see if they're so tough then." "Calm down." "Calm down, calm down." "Quiet" "Jonas and I believe there's no need for violence." "We just have to show how strong in numbers we are." "How?" "We have to organize a protest and form a miner's association." "That's really complicated." "We have someone to help us write it up and legally register it." "Now we need to know how many of you are with us." "Raise your hands those of you who are willing to keep going with this." "I am listening." "Fernando Gutierrez is the leader of the group, patrón, ...and they're going to have Baldomero draft a document for the miners' association and write a list of demands." "Damn grocer." "I should have gotten rid of him ages ago." "A miners' association?" "Assholes!" "I've got to stop them now before these assholes get the better of us." "What was that?" "I don't know." "Stay here," "I'll go and see what it is." "No!" "Yes." "Don't go." "Stay here, it's alright." "Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" "Let's go!" "Not my stories!" "Assholes!" "Not my stories!" "Baldomero." "Assholes!" "Are you all right, my dear?" "Calm down, don't cry." "What did they steal?" "No, no, they're not thieves." "They're Mister Davis' thugs." "Mister Davis?" "What are you mixed up in?" "The miners need help and I..." "And what?" "What do they want you to do?" "Baldomero, what did you do?" "Nothing!" "My whole life I've never done anything important." "And us?" "We're nothing?" "Natividad!" "Natividad!" ""Miners' Association"" "Leave those towels Isidora, it's useless" "Before I took ill," "I arranged the Shipping permits for the power plant machinery," "It should arrive next week." "It's already here, Luis, don't worry." "It was a nice dream." "Adrianita?" "She's here with Virginia." "With who?" "With our goddaughter, remember?" "No." "They said ours was a marriage of convenience, that we were going to hate each other" "Here we are, thirty years later still in love." "Thirty years putting up with your quirks." "And me obeying you in everything." "It's been a very happy life, my darling" "It's been?" "It still is." "Miss, there's someone outside looking for you." "Virginia." "Get out of here you crazy fool." "Let me talk to him." "He's crazy, miss." "Please go away, Don Pedro." "Fernando, what happened to you?" "Ask your family." "Ask them what?" "Why did you betray me?" "What are you talking about?" "You're the only one who knew of our plans." "Tell your family that they'll never see us begging on hands and knees." "Fernando, Fernando, come back." "Isidora." "Yes my dear." "Blow out the candles." "It's bright" "Luis, look at me, look at me." "Look at me, I'm here, Luis." "What are you doing here?" "Let me in Jonas." "You shouldn't be here." "And you think you can just show up at my house yelling and I'll just sit there with my arms crossed." "Your house?" "I swear I didn't tell a soul, I have no idea who did." "Your godparents run this town, don't they?" "They aren't capable of something like that." "They're capable of that and much more, but since you're one of them now, you don't know anything," "you poor naive girl." "You'd better get out of here." "You're never going to believe me." "Wait." "Sorry," "I shouldn't have gotten you involved in this, maybe you made a comment without realizing it." "Never betrayed you." "You've never betrayed me?" "Then why did you go to Spain?" "They made me go, I was a girl, you know I didn't want to." "You are so beautiful." "Ohhh, it's gorgeous." "Now you have what you want, its your turn to hold up your end of the bargain." "You promised you'd come to live here." "I never promised that." "That's the price." "Give it to someone else." "NO!" "I think our most important demand is the reduction of the workday from 14 to 12 hours." "They can't keep knocking off wheelbarrows because of the tuff, the tuff is in the mine, plus they can still use it." "What are you doing here, girl?" "Excuse me Jonas." "I need to talk to Don Fernando Gutierrez." "Fernando Gutierrez isn't here, but you can talk to us." "Who's this?" "It's the gringo's whore." "I need to tell you something very important." "The gringo has been paying Eduardo Castro for information on all your meetings." "I knew that asshole was up to no good." "What?" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "You know what they do to informants in the mine." "Mrs. Isidora, good morning, welcome, allow me." "Mrs. Isidora, welcome." "What a surprise." "I've come to see the mine facilities that Luis never let me enter." "Miners don't like women in the mine, ma'am, they say its a bad omen." "Superstitions." "Women can't enter mine property, but the owner can." "I will be in charge of the mine from now on, Mister Davis." "Whatever you say, ma'am." "Do you have the document, Baldomero?" "Yes." "Its draindown time at the mine, I don't have much time." "They brought this from Concepción this morning." "The miner's association is in place, Fernando." "Thank you, mate." "You're going to have to find a new grocer to give you credit." "Why?" "What's the matter?" "I'm going to Santiago to try my luck with my stories." "Ohh." "Well, thank you for everything Baldomero." "The coal miners will always be grateful to you." "Thank you, mate." "Everyone, gather around," "I would like to say a few words." "In the days following my husband, Luis Cousiño's tragic death," "We feel deeply moved by this act dedicated to him." "For our family ...It's a great honor to inaugurate here in Lota ...The first Chilean hydroelectric plant." "It's also the fulfiment of luis' greatest dream." "I'm Coming." "With the miner's association formed and our list of demands, they cannot deny us." "Come on Jonas, it's now or never." "Fernando." "I have something to tell you, although I swore to your mother I'd never tell you, but since we don't know what's going to happen now..." "What?" "You know that in 1876, there was a major miners' strike, and that your father was the head of the movement." "Afterwards, we never saw him again," "not because he ran out of town, that was a story your mother made up to protect you from hate," "but because he was beaten to death and then thrown to the sea." "It was Davis, damn Davis." "Come on." "Take this, it's a long trip." "Pablo." "Let's take the document to the office and deliver it into the hands of the patrones," "but no rioting." "Let's go." "Rifles out," "prepare your weapons" "Come on," "Go ahead, Don Juan." "Well" "The moment has arrived." "This was Don Luis's ultimate dream." "There's a problem at the mine." "I have to go, Don Carlos." "Gutierrez!" "On the ground!" "I've been waiting for you, Gutierrez," "I knew one of these days you'd fall on your own." "And what are you going to do, Captain?" "Kill me?" "If necessary, yes." "Don't shoot!" "What is going on here." "Ma'am, this man is a very dangerous anarchist." "He looks quite defenseless to me." "Ma'am, may I remind you that it was your very company that called us in." "Its seems that I am not speaking clearly enough for you." "And you all, you don't need to cause such a scandal just to talk to me." "What do you want?" "There is our list of demands." "I will read your list of demands carefully and let you know my decision." "That is all, gentleman, go back to work." "We will be at our posts, ma'am, but we won't go back to work until you give us an answer." "That is what we promised our wives and children." "You are Fernando Gutierrez, aren't you?" "Yes I am." "Capitan, take care of him." "Arrest the troublemaker." "You can't do this!" "Godmother, when are you going to lift the accusation against Fernando Gutierrez?" "You should go back to Spain, Virginia." "And leave Fernando, no, I love him, godmother." "But don't you realize that this relationship is the whim of a spoiled child?" "." "It's a scandal." "You know what the real scandal is?" "That you live in this palace so peacefully, surrounded by maids, thanks to the suffering of the miners." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "Please let him go." "Alright, alright, but help me fulfill your mother's desires." "Fernando." "My love." "This movement can't be stopped, they can lock me or Jonas up but nothing will stop us." "I spoke to my godmother..." "I don't need anything from Doña Isidora." "Nothing." "How long are you going to stand by them?" "My dear, come with me, we have so many things to do together, we are just getting started." "Everything will be different, I promise." "I'm going to Spain." "What are you saying?" "I have to finish my studies." "Forgive me forgive me, please, please," "I love you," "please." "Miss Virginia." "You have angels watching over you, Gutierrez." "You are free," "but I am warning you, one more time... and I'll crusch you" "Did you hear me?" "Teacher, Teacher!" "What are you doing here?" "Teacher, the older children say you are leaving town." "I have to go to Spain, dear." "No!" "Why?" "Miss Virginia, if we don't leave now, we'll miss the train in Concepción." "Alright, Don Pedro." "Goodbye my child." "Let's go." "Teacher, listen." "Daguerreotype!" "Sarsaparilla!" "Ornithorhynchus!" "Give my response to the miners." "What you're doing will bring consequences that even you can't control" "I am just following my heart, Mister Davis." "The mine doesn't run with the heart, ma'am." "After this they will always ask for more always more, their needs are infinite." "Do as I say, that's an order." "I won't do it, it's humiliating." "How dare you?" "You never would have spoken like that to Don Luis!" "Don Luis?" "While I broke my back to make the mine run as it should," "Don Luis fixed clocks, ma'am." "Foreman, deliver this envelope immediately." "As you wish, excuse me ma'am." "You have gone too far this time, Mister Davis." "You're fired." "My uncle Fernando?" "He's down in the mine." "The foreman." "Doña Isidora sent this, for the miners' association of Lota." "Open it!" "No, we have to take it to Fernando." "I'll take it." "He's in the Chiflón del Diablo with the other miners." "Quickly." "Comen here!" "Quickly!" "Yes Mister Davis." "I'll show them!" "Don Pedro, stop." "Uncle!" "Pablito!" "What are you doing here?" "Here, they sent this for you." "Thanks mate." "Uncle, miss Bresquiña is leaving Lota." "Right now that doesn't matter." "We have an answer." "I 'm done." "Therefore, in addition to reducing the workday starting next month and paying a minimum wage to each miner," "I declare a full prohibition on minors in the mine site from this day forth, signed Doña Isidora." "Did we win, uncle?" "You won, my friend." "Come on boys, let's go join the rest outside." "She will pay for this." "They will all pay." "She will pay for this." "What's wrong?" "We have an answer." "Let's go outside." "Fernando Gutierrez, where the hell are you?" "It's payback time, you asshole." "This is no longer your business, Davis, it's between us and Doña Isidora." "Not my business?" "It's my business dammit." "He's crazy!" "Be careful!" "Firedamp." "Firedamp." "Let's go Fernando." "Where's Pablito?" "Back there." "Come on, nephew." "Take him out of here." "What about you Fernando?" "Get him out of here." "What did you do to my father, you piece of shit gringo?" "You should have seen him crying like a girl." "By the end, he was screaming for us to stop beating him." "Lying pig." "This mine is my life, you'll never get away with this, never." "We already beat you Davis." "Or didn't you notice?" "Come on, Firedamp, firedamp." "Get out." "What happened?" "Explosion in the mine." "Pablito, stay here with the teacher." "We have to go back for Fernando, he's still inside." "There's one here." "Fernando," "Fernando!" "Answer me Fernando!" "Talk to me." "It's Fernando." "Fernando." "Fernando." "Fernando, my love, my love, my life." "Uncle?" "I'm here, my love," "I'm here," "my love, my love, no no." "After the tragedy, Fernando's sacrifice generated new seedlings of hope." "I decided to set out for the capital with my stories under my arm and the hope that my words would be a testimony for generations of miners," "so that one day they could discover and value how much pain how much love, and how many dreams were shared in Lota, how many lives and deaths shaped the history of this land." "For others, love linked them forever to the children of the coal mine." "Juana, Rosario, gather the children please." "Children, come over here." "Now they were able to face the future with greater dignity, with the clean smile of children of the southern tip of the world." "Look over here." "Stay very still." "In 1904, Baldomero Lillo, published the book, "Sub-Terra", which created quite a stir in society at the time for its blood-curdling accounts of coal mining." "In 1897, Isidora Goyenechea passed away in Europe." "When her remains were sent back, the people of Lota filled the streets ...in silence to say goodbye." "The State of Chile took over the coal mines, where it extracted the energy to fuel the country's industry for decades." "In the underground chambers of Lota, over two thousand miners lost their lives in explosions and accidents." "The coal mines finally closed their doors in April 1997."