THE FABULOUS GOLD HAVERSTING MACHINE

Toto, the last gold prospector in Tierra del Fuego, is 62 years old. His body is severely worn down by years of labor, and he feels close to death. But he can’t stop working—he doesn’t qualify for social security. His cowboy son, Jorge, designs a machine that could bring them a better future.

Director: Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza
Duration: 77 min.
Genre: Documental

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Director:
Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza

Writers:
Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza, Javiera Velozo Saldivia, Francisco Hervé.

Starring:
Jorge “Toto” Gesell Díaz y Jorge Gesell Bañados.

Producers:
Francisco Hervé, Annemiek van der Hell, Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza.

Production companies:
55 Sur Media, Juntos y Windmill Film

Filming:
Filming in Tierra del Fuego, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica chilena.

Awards

  • Best Ibero-American Documentary and FEISAL Award for Best Film, Guadalajara International Film Festival, Mexico (2024).
  • Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Feature OIT-CINETRAB Award, Lima Film Festival, Peru (2024).
  • Best Film – Chilean Cinema Competition, Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC), Chile (2024).
  • Eligible in the Documentary Feature category for the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars), 2025.
  • Best Film – National Feature Competition and “Héctor Ríos” ACC (Chilean Association of Cinematography) Award,
  • La Serena International Film Festival, Chile (2024).
  • Best Film – National Feature Competition and Best Cinematography ACC (Chilean Association of Cinematography) Award, Iquique International Film Festival, Chile (2024).
  • Best Film – National Feature Competition, Chiloé International Film Festival, Chile (2024).
  • Best National Documentary of the Year, Chilean Art Critics Circle, 2024.
  • Special Jury Prize and Audience Award – National Panorama Competition, Chilean Film Festival (FECICH), Chile (2025).

Selections

  • Hot Docs, Canada, 2024.
  • International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Netherlands, 2024.
  • DOC NYC, USA, 2024.
  • DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival, Finland, 2024.
  • Ñuble National Film Festival, Chile, 2025.
  • Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, USA, 2025.
  • Cinélatino Rencontres de Toulouse, France, 2025.
  • Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece, 2025.
  • Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, USA, 2025.
  • Tempo Documentary Film Festival, Sweden, 2025.
  • One World Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2025.
  • Soto Awards, Venezuela, 2025.