Tantalum

A piece of tantalum - better known as coltan, mined in eastern Congo - travels through military equipment to a Ghanaian landfill and ultimately ends up in space. Along the way, we explore its connections to mythology, children, technology, and colonization in a critical and satirical reflection on political and economic systems. How does a piece of tantalum connect to Greek mythology, waste, and space colonization? Tantalus follows its journey from a coltan mine in a war-torn Congo to space. A planetary critique of economic absurdity, militarization, and the arms race. How does a piece of tantalum connect to cows, Greek mythology, and space colonization? Tantalus follows its journey from a war-torn Congolese mine to space. A planetary critique of economic absurdity. One of the biggest conflicts of this century is taking place in the DRC. While the situation is beginning to garner more attention, particularly with the Rwandan invasion, the absurd economic and geopolitical drivers behind it are still too often overlooked. These include the hunger for minerals, essential for everything from excessive media consumption to the current arms race, and even space exploration. This short film aims to highlight this absurdity in a format that is both accessible and thought-provoking. Using irony as a counterpoint to cynicism, it conveys its message through a deadpan, waste-ology approach that playfully recycles the aesthetics of new media.