Where Heaven Meets Hell

Sasha Friedlander brings the lives of Indonesia's sulfur mine workers to vivid life in her beautifully-lensed debut documentary Where Heaven Meets Hell, traveling to the craggy, fog-enshrouded hills of East Java (which resemble something from a Peter Jackson fantasy epic). Friedlander profiles four workers at the Kawah Ijen mine: Purnomo, Anto, Hadis, and Sukarmon, Muslim men who collect the sulfur, traverse steep paths, and cook their harvest into a liquid. Purnomo has worked in the mine for seven years (much like his father before him), while Sukarmon has been at it for 35 years. Although mine owner Yamin Naharto claims that the sulfur isn't toxic, the roiling clouds of sulfur dioxide suggest otherwise (to prove that it's safe, Naharto has an assistant eat some in front of the filmmaker, but the owner's abstention himself speaks volumes). Anto's wife worries about her husband, but jobs are scarce in their community (and her own Hindu family doesn't want anything to do with him). Sukarmon's son expresses similar concerns, but only by working in the mine can the father help his children to avoid the same fate (his proceeds actually enable his son-in-law to open a food stand). After Anto is in an accident, however, he must find a new way to support his family—a task that will not be easy without a high school diploma. Featuring both the full-length film and a 54-minute abridgement, extras include a bonus featurette in which Friedlander catches up with her subjects, who continue to struggle while being supported by their families (their "heaven," as Anto puts it). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)