The Indian Ocean Laboratory of the Foundation for Innovation in Democracy has announced the release of its documentary, ‘Ilakaka, living in the shadow of artisanal mines.’ Produced as part of the ‘Voices of the Living’ program, this film addresses a social phenomenon often reduced to stereotypes but rarely documented in depth.
The documentary traces the history of the largest sapphire mining site in Madagascar: a village that, until 1998, had only about forty inhabitants, and today houses thousands, all driven by the same hope of finding a sapphire. Madagascar is now one of the world’s leading producers of this precious stone, and Ilakaka—with a population estimated at around 60,000 in 2024—has established itself as one of the main centers for this activity.
The film follows the daily lives of miners like Tsiatsefa, who arrived from Belamoty in 2019, as well as the informal networks that structure the entire sapphire economy: the ‘business gasy’ who pre-finance the operation of the pits, buyers from all over the world, and families who share a portion of the earnings with every discovery.
The project was led by Randianina Radilofe, Indian Ocean coordinator for the Foundation for Innovation in Democracy, and Symphorien Ongolo, a researcher at the IRD. The documentary was directed by Mihaja Clerck, based on a script inspired by the research thesis of Onja Harison, a project assistant at the Indian Ocean Laboratory, written under the supervision of Patrick Ranjatson and Symphorien Ongolo.
The film will premiere on September 27, 2026, in Antananarivo, as part of the International Documentary Film Festival.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-11 06:38:45 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/documentaire-ilakaka-portee-lecran.html