THE ROCK SPEAKS

Francois Knoetze | South Africa, Spain • 2025 • 7m

IFFR

Synopsis

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a rare earth mineral that is essential in the production of technologies. In this hybrid AI documentary, South African artists Francois Knoetze and Amy Louise Wilson, together with Congolese historian Joe-Yves Salankang Sa-Ngol, trace the trans-continental journey of this precious metal: from its violent extraction in the mines of DRC to its sale on global stock markets. THE ROCK SPEAKS weaves a complex contemplation on an urgent ecological crisis that is fuelled by obscene labour practices that our technological systems demand.

Director

Francois Knoetze

Countries

South Africa, Spain

Production

Lodef, Artefacto

Languages

English, Swahili