About the Film

Lithium, cobalt, and nickel power the modern world. From electric vehicles and battery storage to AI infrastructure and renewable energy, the global transition toward a low-carbon future depends on a new generation of critical minerals.

But behind this transformation lies an intensifying global race over the resources shaping the twenty-first century.

Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals is a cinematic feature documentary exploring the geopolitical, environmental, and human dimensions of the worldwide scramble for lithium, cobalt, copper, and other strategic materials.

Filmed across five continents, the documentary travels from the lithium-rich salt flats of South America to the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from tribal lands in Nevada to the industrial supply chains connecting China, Europe, and the United States.

Along the way, the film follows miners, Indigenous leaders, engineers, policymakers, and industry executives confronting the promises and consequences of the new energy economy.

With sweeping cinematography and intimate on-the-ground reporting, Lithium Rising asks a central question: can the world build a greener future without repeating the extractive injustices of the past?

Lithium Rising broadcast nationally on PBS and screened across Europe and the United States. The documentary received the award for Best U.S. Documentary at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.