Lithium Ghosts
- Directed & Produced by: Nicolas Muñoz
- Stage:
- Locations:
- Updated: May 11, 2026
- Project Type:
- Project Style:
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Logline
To power our smartphones and EVs, the 'green' lithium boom is stripping the Argentine Andes of its water and ancient cultures. Now, a dedicated biologist and local activists face a race against time to expose this devastating trade-off and stop the destruction before it's too late.
Clips
Participants
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Enrique Derlindati
Scientific Lead & Protagonist
Participant
Enrique Derlindati
Scientific Lead & Protagonist
Dr. Derlindati is a Professor of Conservation Biology at the National University of Salta and a member of the IUCN Flamingo Specialist Group. With over 30 years of fieldwork in the High Andes, he is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on the Andean and Puna flamingos. His research, supported by organizations like WCS and BirdLife International, provides the critical ecological baseline to understand the impact of lithium extraction on wetlands. In Lithium Ghosts, Enrique acts not just as a consultant, but as the narrative guide—a "detective of the wild" racing to decode the language of the birds before their habitat is silenced forever. -
Ariel
ARIEL | The Salt Harvester
Participant
Ariel
ARIEL | The Salt Harvester
Ariel is a generational salt harvester in Salinas Grandes, Jujuy, maintaining an ancestral trade that predates modern industry. Living on the edge of the great white desert with his wife, Vanesa, and their three children, he carves his livelihood manually from the earth.
For Ariel, the salar is not a resource, but a home. Witnessing the rapid encroachment of multinational lithium mining, he has become a quiet but firm voice of concern for his community. His struggle is intimate and existential: he fights to ensure that the water—and the future of his children—does not evaporate along with the lithium. -
Andean Communities
THE ANDEAN COMMUNITIES | Guardians of the Water
Participant
Andean Communities
THE ANDEAN COMMUNITIES | Guardians of the Water
Inhabiting the high-altitude deserts of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia for millennia, the Kolla and Atacama indigenous nations are not merely residents, but integral parts of the ecosystem. To them, the salt flats are living entities, and water is the sacred blood of the earth (Pachamama). Facing the rapid industrialization of their territories for the world’s "green transition," they stand as the frontline defenders of the Puna. Their resistance is not just political, but spiritual: a fight to ensure that the global rush for lithium does not erase their ancient past, nor the fragile biodiversity they have protected for centuries.
Team
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Nicolas Muñoz
Director & Producer
Team
Nicolas Muñoz
Director & Producer
Nicolás Muñoz Documentary Filmmaker & DOP | Buenos Aires, Argentina He studied photography and cinematography at ORT schools, later specializing in documentary filmmaking at INA (France), and honing his craft at UBA (Argentina) and Maine Media College (USA). At age 24, after graduating from film school, he began a 13-year career as a correspondent for Associated Press Television. Covering breaking news across Latin America and beyond, Muñoz reported from extraordinary places and captured urgent, human-centered stories. In 2014, with two young children, he made the difficult decision to leave the news world—stepping away from a stable path into one that was more uncertain, especially financially. He shifted his focus from news to longform documentary work, channeling his journalistic experience into a visual storytelling style that blends strong imagery, emotion, and narrative clarity—even in complex or sensitive environments. In 2018, he won Best Adventure Film at the Banff Film Festival in Canada. Since then, his work has continued to evolve across formats and platforms, earning recognition such as the Sony World Photography Award in 2024 and becoming a Sony Alpha Partner. Today, he collaborates with NGOs, broadcasters, and institutions to tell grounded, human-centered stories with lasting impact. His work explores the intersections of social justice, environmental crisis, and resilience. With a deeply personal approach and a collaborative mindset, Muñoz often works directly with communities to amplify their voices and build powerful narratives from the ground up. -
Juliette Igier
Field Producer & Investigative Journalist
Team
Juliette Igier
Field Producer & Investigative Journalist
A distinguished journalist and filmmaker with decades of experience covering social and environmental justice across Argentina and Latin America. Juliette has a proven track record of bringing complex, high-stakes investigations to international audiences. She previously work together with Nico Muñoz on the acclaimed documentary Orphans of Lake Poopó (Orphelins du lac Poopó) for ARTE France, a project that showcased her ability to blend rigorous journalism with compelling human narratives. With a deep-rooted understanding of the region’s socio-political landscape, Juliette provides critical investigative depth and a bridge to major European broadcasters for Lithium Ghosts. -
Diana Cervantes
Impact & Transmedia Producer
Team
Diana Cervantes
Impact & Transmedia Producer
Award-winning visual journalist (New York/New Mexico) specializing in science-based stories and interspecies relationships. Her work, recognized by the New Mexico Press Association, bridges the gap between hard data and storytelling. Diana will lead the Podcast component and scientific reportage. -
Madeline Finkel
Story Editor & Creative Consultant
Team
Madeline Finkel
Story Editor & Creative Consultant
I am a writer, artist, and filmmaker based in New York currently completing my MFA in Film at NYU Tisch. As a Fulbright scholar to Argentina in 2019, I directed my first documentary. My most recent work was recognized by the British Council for the Arts and One World Media which named her one of "14 filmmakers to watch." She has produced work for ARTEtv, NOWNESS, the Barbican Centre London, and others.
Budget
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Stills
Our Ask
WHY THIS NOW?
We are at a breaking point. While global markets celebrate the EV revolution, the Andean Puna has become a sacrifice zone. My project is entering its most critical phase: an October impact campaign designed to bridge the gap between scientific data and indigenous resistance. We are looking for the financial bridge that will allow us to capture the evidence needed to challenge the 'green' narrative before the seasonal nesting of the Andean flamingos concludes and the window for action closes.
We are at a breaking point. While global markets celebrate the EV revolution, the Andean Puna has become a sacrifice zone. My project is entering its most critical phase: an October impact campaign designed to bridge the gap between scientific data and indigenous resistance. We are looking for the financial bridge that will allow us to capture the evidence needed to challenge the 'green' narrative before the seasonal nesting of the Andean flamingos concludes and the window for action closes.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The first major shooting campaign in the Argentine Puna, embedded with Dr. Derlindati, is currently in motion. To realize the full potential of Lithium Ghosts, we are now seeking:
- Production Funding: Financial support to scale the expedition across the entire Lithium Triangle (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia). This is critical to cover complex cross-border logistics, 4x4 rentals, and the purchase of satellite trackers to generate groundbreaking migration data for the film.
- Strategic Partnerships: We are actively looking for co-producers, impact producers, and distribution allies.
If we do not secure the full budget, we will trigger a scalable contingency plan: we will embed ourselves directly with the scientific team with a minimum agile crew.
AUDIENCE STRATEGY
The Transmedia
Beyond a 90-minute film, we are building a cross-media loop. We will release native vertical micro-docs (TikTok/Reels) and a companion podcast to capture younger audiences and build community.
The "Glocal" Approach
A local story with a global soul. We will cultivate a strong Spanish-speaking community first through regional LATAM co-productions, forging strategic alliances with NGOs and eco-conscious brands.
Global Hybrid Route
By building an "owned audience" from day one, we bypass the need for massive marketing budgets.
Global Hybrid Route
By building an "owned audience" from day one, we bypass the need for massive marketing budgets.
We are seeking:
- Funding,
- Co-Production Partners,
- International Co-Production,
- Sales Agent,
- Broadcast Partner
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