In 2004, the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto discovered a unique lithium-boron-silicate mineral in Serbia’s fertile Jadar Valley. Dubbed “Serbian kryptonite,” this potent jadarite mineral promised immense wealth and a cleantech future for Serbia. Rio Tinto was welcomed with open arms. Fast forward to 2020: Rio Tinto’s land acquisition program began to divide the local villagers. The local resistance quickly evolved into a highly diverse national movement, culminating in the withdrawal of Rio Tinto’s permits in 2022. When this decision was reversed in July 2024 by Serbia’s Constitutional Court, it triggered a new wave of protests in Belgrade during the hot summer of 2024.
In “Not in My Country,” Dr. Peter Tom Jones, Director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals & Minerals, engages with a multitude of voices to find answers. Can Rio Tinto be trusted to uphold the strictest ESG standards? Is Serbia merely an EU mining colony, sacrificing its environment so wealthy Europeans can drive oversized electric vehicles? Or is the Serbian population the target of a hybrid warfare campaign designed to hinder Serbia’s EU Membership aspirations?
This documentary delves into Serbia’s lithium dilemma, featuring multiple voices from the Jadar Valley, Belgrade, and Brussels, amidst a backdrop of intimidation, confusion, distrust, and deep-seated historical emotions. Brace yourself!
🎬 Featuring Ne Damo Jadar and other local citizens in the Jadar valley; University of Belgrade’s Jelena Vasiljevic; Rio Tinto chief executives & experts (Marijanti Babic, Chad Blewitt, Sinead Kaufman), ElevenEs’s CEO Nemanja Mikac, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, T&E’s Julia Poliscanova (she/her), German MEP Hildegard Bentele, and anonymous Serbian political experts.
🎬 Funding: SIM2 KU Leuven & KU Leuven
🎬 Film crew: Director: Stijn van Baarle (Storyrunner), Presenter: Peter Tom Jones (SIM2 KU Leuven), Cameramen: Michael Van de Velde & Jochen Maes; Sound technicians: Casimir De Kimpe, Jeroen De Vriese; Editor: Jasper Vander Elst.
🎬 Q&A: Journalists can contact Peter Tom Jones about the background and future plans for this documentary.
🎬 EIT RawMaterials, PROMETIA, BATTERY 2030+, International Lithium Association (ILiA) CIRAN (CrItical RAw materials extraction in enviroNmentally protected areas) Eurometaux (European Metals Association) Euromines IMA-Europe (Industrial Minerals Association – Europe) European Environment Agency European Environmental Bureau IRTC | International Round Table on Materials Criticality
