"Basilio Vargas (14) and his brother Bernardino (12) know their job: They are Mineros, working in the 450-year-old mines of Cerro Rico, "Rich Mountains" situated near Potosí at 4300 metres. They work wheelbarrows, as porters and blasters in a place that used to hold the world's largest silver ore deposits. They follow in the footsteps of their father, who died of silicosis at the age of 35."(from the movie summary)

Background: There have been mines in Potosí since the 16th century. Incredible amounts of silver were mined for the Spanish colonisers. Today, the town is a touristic site, with visitors watching the miner's dangerous life as a tourist attraction.