PROTECT THE
WEST COAST

Ours, Not Mine exposes heavy mineral sand mining on the West Coast of South Africa that entails the industrial-scale extraction of minerals such as zircon, ilmenite, rutile, magnetite and garnet (used in everyday products) from huge tracts of coastline between Columbine and the Orange River, including parts that are officially deemed Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas. Visually rich footage shows the biodiversity and splendour of a pristine wilderness. This is juxtaposed with the wasteland left behind for generations by mining companies from Australia, South Africa, China and others.

Woven into a visually disturbing narrative are the stories of indigenous and local people affected by the mining, including elders from the Khoi Griqua people, who depend on the land and ocean for their livelihood. Directed by Bryan Little and produced by Ana-Filipa Domingues of Fly on the Wall Films, the film is a call to action to push the government into following the correct, legally binding procedures before granting licenses, such as environmental impact studies and fully comprehensive public participation. The film underlines that a destructive, single-use activity stifles efforts to find sustainable economic activities, such as agriculture, fisheries and nature-based tourism.