Black Diamonds

“A lotta guys say they wouldn’t go back to that pit if it were to happen again, it wasn’t any fun. We worked our tails off, so… But it was an intense experience, really.”The mining industry in the Ostrava region began centuries past with the mining of iron and, starting in the 18th century, coal. After World War II, the importance of coal grew as war tolls for the liberation of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union had to be paid. Mining was officially one of the most important employment sectors during the communist regime. However, after the end of the war, miners barely earned a living wage. Additionally, miners had to learn how to integrate their personal lives with a high-risk profession. (Academia Film Olomouc)