More Than Just A Cell Phone

I didn't quite know what to expect going into Blood in the Mobile. Soon after beginning the film, however, I knew I would like it. I think it was the filmmaker's approach that drew me in. Frank Poulsen used a similar technique used by Judith Helfand by creating a purposeful journey. Poulsen starts out with a question as to whether or not his phone service provider, Nokia, is knowingly using blood minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He goes from there and actually travels to the Congo to get a look at these illegal and dangerous mines where the minerals are being extracted. He finds the road treacherously difficult to travel, as there are many people who would be willing to kill him in order to stop the exposure of the mines. Poulsen gains the trust of the people needed to sign the forms necessary to get to the mines, though. And soon he is walking through the jungle on a back route to the heart of it all. Even just at the entrance to one of the major mines, Poulsen discovers some of the corrupt things going on. The miners have to pay a fee to gain access to the mines and must even pay to get out. This is why some miners spend days in the mines, as they are unable to afford the fee to get out.

But just how will this situation be able to change? The picture Poulsen paints makes it feel like a bleak possibility of changing anytime soon because nobody wants to acknowledge the fact that blood minerals are being bought and used in technology products. Isn't the first step to simply call attention to it and tell the truth? Only then will people be able to collaborate on a plan to start moving forward. It was frustrating to watch Poulsen go to Nokia headquarters and be given the run-around. No one seemed to want to give him a straight answer about what he had witnessed in the Congo.

Because of the corruption that infiltrates at every level, the Congolese government does not have much power to step in to regulate the mines. There are bribes and people willing to kill along the way that keep anyone from trying to help. Of course, the UN has some responsibility because of the influence it would be able to put upon the outside forces. However, the UN is primarily a peace-keeping organization and aims to protect innocent civilians, not necessarily go after dangerous rebels.

The whole situation seems so complicated, but I really enjoyed being able to learn about it. I wouldn't have normally given a second thought about what materials go into making my cell phone or laptop. Not that the minerals themselves are bad, just the way they are being harvested. It is horrifying to hear that some five million estimated people have died in the process. Something needs to change.