The Heart of the Earth / El corazón de la tierra

Spain, at the end of the 19th century. A powerful English company obtains a concession to exploit the Riotinto mines in Huelva for 30 years. Blanca Bosco, a nine-year-old girl, and her inseparable English friend Kathleen, the niece of the British director of the company, witness the miserable living conditions of the workers — including many children — and the terrible air pollution. Crops, livestock, trees, rivers, and above all the population, from Seville to southern Portugal, suffer the effects of the toxic fumes. The arrival in town of Maximiliano, a revolutionary who wins the heart of Blanca’s mother, brings hope to everyone. Miners, farmers, and thousands of people from across Huelva follow him on February 4, 1888, in a peaceful demonstration: the first environmental protest in history.