Short Synopsys:

The documentary film chronicles the life of Opio, a 13-year-old boy from Burkina Faso who works in the Perkoa gold mines to become economically independent and pay for his studies. Forced to ask his boss for a promotion to pay tuition at a vocational school, Opio is willing to descend into the mine’s underground tunnels, facing one of his greatest fears. Using long shots and wide area shots, the director succeeds in capturing the beauty and danger of the mines as well as Opio’s ease in juggling the pitfalls and risks of his job. Eventually, Opio, manages to raise the money he needs to pay for a term at the vocational institute but the film’s final moments see him return to his family of mining friends, a prelude to his ultimate fate.