A monthly cultural studies film session hosted by cultural researcher and author Viriya Sawangchot. This session is on a European documentary on conflict minerals found in our smartphones.

Screening starts at 8pm and will be followed by an informal discussion.

// Free Entry //

BLOOD IN THE MOBILE
Blood in the Mobile is a 2010 documentary film by Danish film director Frank Piasecki Poulsen. The film is co-financed by Danish, German, Finnish, Hungarian and Irish television, as well as the Danish National film board.

The film addresses the issue of conflict minerals by examining illegal cassiterite mining in Bisie, the North-Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The cassiterite dug out in the illegal mines in Bisie primarily purchased as tin by the electronics industry after the processing. In an attempt to connect the dots between the mine and the phone industry, Poulson approached Nokia. However, no mobile companies can say for sure that they didn’t buy conflict mineral from the Congo to produce the cell phone.

VIRIYA SAWANGCHOT
A cultural researcher based in Bangkok, Thailand. He was an API senior fellow (2013-2014), Asian Public Intellectual program, Nippon Foundation, and has previously taught in Cultural Studies program, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand.