“A film with a powerful social message that is delivered with precision and intelligence.”

We are all connected in one way or another, which can sometimes be difficult to accept when we view ourselves as leading very insular, separate lives. I’ve always been drawn to cinema that finds ways to expose the unexpected connections that bind people together, whether on the individual level or through something much larger. With their strong recent addition to an ever-growing canon of films that explore this subject, All We Have Is Us co-directors Alina Juárez and Juan Francisco Donoso aim to provide an overview of two distinct communities that exist on different continents, but are bound together as a result of one detail that makes them unconventional partners despite being different on every other level. The two communities in question are located in the Atacama Desert in Chile, and the Jadar Valley in Serbia, regions that differ on everything from climate to culture, but where one peculiar aspect allows them to overlap: the land is rich with lithium. It has resulted in Rio Tinto, the second-largest mining company in the world, setting out their plans to mine the land for this precious resource. This kickstarts two movements by activists, namely Leyla Noriega and Bojana Novaković (whose own directorial outing The Forbidden Aunt from this year is also a vivid exploration of culture and unexpected connections). They work hard to oppose the mining plans, doing whatever is necessary to expose the dangers of allowing industry to take economic dominion of these regions. A film with a powerful social message that is delivered with precision and intelligence, All We Have Is Us is a tale of two different communities rising to work together in pursuit of a better, more hopeful future for the next generation.

By this point, no one has the privilege of ignoring that we are headed for disaster as far as environmental issues are concerned. While a lot has been done in terms of regulations and lawmaking to prevent industries from taking over entirely, there is still far too much corporate overreach. Even governmental systems, which claim to have the best interests of both the people and the land at heart, tend to be heavily influenced by businesses willing to pay any price if it means they have carte blanche on the natural resources. All We Have Is Us is a film that takes dead aim at this issue, setting out a clear premise around how companies such as Rio Tinto hide behind supposedly progressive ideologies (particularly certain green energy policies that claim to be environmentally friendly but have deeper ramifications that are rarely discussed) as a means to justify the exploitation of the land. The film explores the relationship between this company and the protestors who attempt to make their operations as difficult as possible by standing in their way. This is where the film becomes a tale of two cultures, with those in Chile and Serbia (despite not having much contact with one another at first) united by a shared goal to highlight how this company is using its power to exploit both the countries and their people. It is here that the directors draw some fascinating correlations between these two populations that manage to join forces despite cultural and geographical boundaries, taking on a system that claims to be in favor of a better, more environmentally-conscious future, but is still severely lacking in areas that this film has no hesitation in exposing.

However, there is much more to All We Have Is Us than just the conventional David and Goliath trope of the smallest voices rallying to oppose the brute strength of impossibly powerful industries. The tug-of-war between two warring factions that have their own strengths (the protestors have the numbers, but the industry has wealth and influence) leads to some fascinating insights into social movements, and how sometimes all it takes to change the world is a single spark that can incite extraordinary progress. Ultimately, the directors were not just looking to develop a didactic non-fiction account centered around this particular scenario, but also to craft an affectionate and inspiring story of how social movements function as vessels for change. The core message of this film is that there is more that connects us than divides us if we look deep enough, and while some of the attempts to draw similarities between these two cultures can seem tenuous at first, once the film has introduced its key ideas and settled into the main narrative the connections become much clearer and more intriguing. Although the film is built around environmental issues, All We Have Is Us also provides a lovely depiction of culture as a whole, finding a unique rhythm that extends beyond the core message and embraces something much deeper, feeling both intimate and sprawling in scope. Juárez and Donoso craft a collage of large and small moments in this movement, showing its daily impact on the lives of ordinary people who have grown weary of being exploited and are using their voices to challenge the system, which makes for an inspiring social message that drives the story forward.

On the surface, All We Have Is Us seems like a straightforward film with a clear social message and no interest in embellishing the truth or presenting anything other than the facts, its agenda heavily steeped in public interest. Yet the film resonates in how it proposes that there is always room for hope, without favouring blind optimism, being fully aware of the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done. It attempts to explore the ongoing tension between the environmentalist movement and corporate industries, where neither side seems willing to accept the idea of a happy medium for reasons that are outlined throughout the film, ultimately forming the foundation for the central debate. Even beyond this aspect, All We Have Is Us finds poetry in the most unexpected places by putting the focus on the people behind this movement, showing how their lives are impacted and outlining their reasons for participating in a grassroots campaign that is steadily making progress, even if it is taking time. It all ultimately makes for a film that acts as a rousing call to arms for anyone who believes our planet should be preserved, its resources protected, and its people given priority over the elites and their intention to simply line their pockets. Built around the idea of a global movement (particularly in the brief moments where we look at the work being done outside the two key locations of this film, proving it has roots all around the world), All We Have Is Us is a well-crafted documentary that tackles an intimidating subject, showing that the battle is ongoing, but the war is far from won.