Der Fluch des Indianergoldes (2005)

New Westminster, British Columbia, 1891. The noose tightens around Charly Slumach's neck. But the gold prospector, adventurer and convicted murderer isn't going without a curse: "No one who finds the gold will live long enough to get it out!" Is he bluffing, or did he really find a mother-lode of immeasurable value? In spite of his curse - or perhaps because of it - Slumach triggered a treasure hunt that has taken at least 25 men to their doom in an impenetrable wilderness of jagged mountains and hidden crevasses inhabited by grizzlies, black bears and perhaps more terrifying beasts yet... Slumach took his secret to the grave, and a legend was born. For generations now, countless adventurers have been searching for the "Lost Creek Mine," a place haunted by cries in the night, by mysterious apparitions and, perhaps, by the mythical Sasquatch. A holy place for the Native People, who consider every treasure seeker an intruder. In this documentary presented by ZDF, a team of explorers heads out to find the "Lost Creek Mine" with the help of two specialists, R.W. Nicholson and Tony Lennartz. Nicholson, who has already undertaken eleven expeditions, has spent 30 years gathering every scrap of information on the mine. Lennartz, the team's leader, has based his route on Nicholson's material and on his own research. Mineworks Film's crew accompany Lennartz and his team on a journey that takes us back to the exciting days of the gold rush, a treasure hunt that unfolds against the grandiose backdrop of the Canadian Coast Mountains. Along with re-enactments shot at original locations, the documentary features documents, photos and interviews with surviving participants of earlier expeditions. The team examines the native population's peculiar blend of mythology and pragmatism. Among the expedition's remarkable findings is the discovery of high levels of mercury in the mountain brooks, which can lead to hallucinations and death. History and legend, myths and facts are sorted out and pieced together into a fascinating documentary, "The curse of the indian gold" aka Slumach's Gold.