Devil Gold on AllMovie

Devil Gold is director José Novoa's third collaboration with producer Elia Schneider, and like the previous two films, Huelepega (or Glue Sniffer, which Schneider directed in 2000) and Sicario (1994), the film is a thriller-melodrama that focuses on a real-life problem plaguing Venezuela, with an emphasis on how the conditions affect children. Thus, after a few titles explaining the impact that gold mining has had on the country's Amazon region, along with helicopter footage (later to be blended into the narrative) of the ecologically devastated area, the film settles in on the lawless shanty town of Payapal for its narrative. Gallego (Armando Gota) runs the mine, exploiting his cheap labor force. Aroldo (Pedro Lander) breaks into Gallego's safe and steals his gold, along with a good deal of gold that Gallego was holding for his workers. Aroldo involves the unwitting Carmen (Jenny Noguera) in the robbery, and, when they are discovered, he shoots and kills Gallego's young son. Aroldo reports back to Mooligan (Roberto Hernández), the local kingpin who planned the robbery. Hearing that the plan went wrong, Mooligan promptly murders his co-conspirators. Carmen's young daughter, Isabel (Rocío Miranda), who dreams of being a movie star, is forced into prostitution to repay Gallego and the angry workers. She tries to run away and meets Cae (Laureano Olivares), who is immediately smitten with her. Isabel is captured and sent back to Payapal, and Cae is sold as a worker to a nearby mine. Before they meet again, Cae hears the story of how Mooligan ripped off the town, and Mooligan becomes Isabel's lover and protector. Devil Gold was shown at the 2002 African Diaspora Film Festival.