CRUDE: The Film Chevron Doesn't Want You to See
American oil giant Chevron is now the 5th largest company on the planet. But I doubt Chevron executives have had much time to savor their 'Masters of the Universe' status lately. Instead, I imagine them working overtime with their internal public relations team and mercenary army of PR spinmasters, lobbyists, and sponsored bloggers they've brought on to fight what looks more and more like a losing battle. What's got them burning the midnight oil?
Two weeks from today, a powerful new documentary film is opening in New York, and then playing in select theaters across the country. Called CRUDE, the film tells a shocking story that Chevron does not want the world to know.
Three years in the making by acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brother's Keeper, Paradise Lost, and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster), CRUDE chronicles the epic legal battle to hold Chevron accountable for its systematic contamination of the Ecuadorian Amazon -- an environmental tragedy experts call the "Amazon Chernobyl," and believe is the worst case of oil-related contamination on Earth. While drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon from 1964 to 1990, Texaco, now Chevron, deliberately dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater, spilled roughly 17 million gallons of crude oil, and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor. The company operated using substandard practices that were obsolete in order to increase its profit margin by $3 per barrel of crude. Of course, the local people and ecosystems paid the price instead, but they're fighting back.
Centering on a landmark lawsuit filed by the indigenous people and campesinos who continue to suffer a severe public health crisis caused by Chevron's contamination, CRUDE is a high-stakes David vs. Goliath legal drama with 30,000 Amazon rainforest dwellers facing down the San Ramon, California-based oil behemoth.
Amazon Watch's Clean Up Ecuador Campaign - featured in the film - is leading grassroots efforts to promote the theatrical release, enlisting human rights and environmental allies across the U.S. in an outreach and word-of-mouth marketing campaign. Numerous organizations have pledged support and committed to concrete efforts to build the profile of this must-see film, including Rainforest Action Network, Oxfam USA, WITNESS, EarthRights International, Human Rights Watch, and Global Green, to name just a few.
CRUDE is not a simplistic piece of agit-prop. Filmmaker Joe Berlinger shows all sides of this monumental case and the stories and people behind it. Chevron is given plenty of opportunity to share its perspective. Unfortunately for them, in the end, truth does appear to pick a side and it's not Chevron's.
Watch the trailer below:
Ultimately, the film gives us a glimpse of the beauty and mystery of the Amazon and its indigenous cultures, and puts a human face on the devastation left there by three decades of oil operations. But it does a lot more. Among other things, it also tells the story of what it takes to go up against one of the most powerful companies on the planet.
Especially inspiring is the story of Pablo Fajardo, the young former oil field worker who completed his law degree by correspondence course and is now the lead attorney for the plaintiffs. Pablo argues passionately and courageously for the impacted communities, and you won't be able to help cheering him on.
Advising Pablo is another lawyer named Steven Donziger, who helped file the original lawsuit in New York back in 1993. Coming across as somehow simultaneously cynical and idealistic, Donziger is brash and and big and loud and manipulative. And if you're rooting for the plaintiffs, you'll find yourself thinking "I'm glad he's on our side."
And there are a slew of other fascinating real-life characters, from a Cofán indigenous leader who travels from the jungle by foot, canoe, bus, train, and plane to speak about the plight of his people at a Chevron shareholder meeting in Houston, to a Chevron attorney who comes across like the Tilda Swinton character from Michael Clayton (how does she sleep at night?). We meet Trudie Styler - wife of Sting and founder with him of the Rainforest Foundation - who visits the affected communities and quickly becomes passionately, earnestly involved.
It's easy to get behind CRUDE because it not only tells an important story. It tells it in an inspiring, powerful, engaging, and dare I say it, entertaining way. Joe Berlinger had a hit with his last film about Metallica going through group therapy. He brings the same storytelling acumen to this story that already had dramatic elements galore.
The theatrical release of CRUDE comes at a moment of unprecedented importance in the campaign to hold Chevron accountable and achieve justice for the people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. What's more, a victory for this grassroots campaign will send shockwaves through the oil industry and corporate boardrooms around the world, forever changing the way companies do business.
With CRUDE coming out in theaters, we have an unprecedented opportunity to massively increase public awareness of this issue and massively increase public pressure for Chevron to be held accountable. But it begins with getting people out to the movies!
The film opens in New York on 09/09/09, followed by runs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and thirty more smaller cities across the country [full list]. This sounds great but think of it compared to G.I. Joe, which was playing in 4,000 theaters at the same time a couple weeks ago! Theaters nationwide will be watching to see how the film performs in the first few weeks to decide whether to screen it themselves so please, help us spread the word.
Blog about CRUDE, post the trailer and poster and web banners on your social networks, follow and retweet @crudethemovie & @amazonwatch, become a fan of the film on Facebook, and join our mailing list for news, updates, and action alerts.
Visit www.ChevronToxico.com/crude for resources to help you promote CRUDE and get involved with the Clean Up Ecuador Campaign. Join us now so you can join us for the campaign's victory party in the near future!
You can also visit the official film website at: www.crudethemovie.com. to read more about the making of the film, to sign up for updates from the filmmaker, and to see the latest play-dates.
Follow Han Shan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/coldmtn
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This film sounds like a must-see. It shall be reviewed on our show. Crude is probably long overdue. Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta
This is Justin with Chevron and we are not discouraging interested individuals from seeing this movie, but we do strongly disagree with accuracy of its content and we hope that readers will take a moment to investigate both sides of this case before drawing a conclusion.
The American trial lawyers depicted in and supporting this film use the media to promote myths and factual distortions in an attempt to force Chevron into a large financial settlement. Unfortunately, this film further perpetuates these inaccuracies and erroneous fabrications.
The plaintiffs' lawyers and the filmmaker refuse to pursue the real culprit, Petroecuador, the state-owned oil company.
Since it took over operations in 1990, Petroecuador has:
• Been responsible for more than 1,400 spills between 2000 and 2008
• Spilled over 4.4 million gallons of oil
• Drilled more wells in the concession area than Texaco Petroleum
• Dug more than 250 pits in the last 3 years
• Admitted it needs to clean up 360 sites in the concession
Cont'd below
Before leaving Ecuador, Texaco Petroleum completed a $40 million remediation program, which was approved by the Ecuadorian government. Texaco Petroleum was granted a full and complete release of any future environmental liability by the government in 1998. The scientific evidence is clear – Texaco successfully remediated the sites it was responsible for.
In reality, the major health concerns in the Oriente region are 1) a lack of sufficient sanitation infrastructure 2) sewage contamination of drinking water and 3) inadequate access to medical care-- facts conveniently ignored by the filmmaker. The people there, like those in other parts of Ecuador, are suffering from a lack of proper municipal infrastructure for essential services like clean water and sewage treatment.
There is no question that the people of the Oriente region face a series of challenges regarding the health in their communities. However, they are being deceived by the trial lawyers and activists who have brought this lawsuit.
More on the movie Crude: http://businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090721101557.aspx
For more information on the case please visit: http://theamazonpost.com
Drill Baby Drill. Sounds kinda dumb.
Know what makes me sad...we are all complicit...everytime we put gas in our cars and grumble when it goes up 25 cents... I read, an older edition..maybe 2 years ago, a National Geographic article on CHEVRON and oil in the Congo..kids walking around little vats of oil..mental illness, lots of deaths and worse... I am glad this documentary is hitting the theaters...Now..I need to figure out what I can do aside from just become indignant at Chevron...since I buy their gas...
Thank you Pablo...what an amazing man....better put his name on Nobel list!
I live in Alaska where we have had a lot of damage from the oil companies. The atomosphere here can make it difficult to complain about them. I hope your movie makes it up here. Suggested markets are Anchorage and Homer. Thank you for writing about this story.
Things like this need to be bought into the open.It is a little man against Goliath with lots of money and oil is not the only culprit but is one of the worse.What they do not want know is hidden very well by people with the money to hide it.
I can't wait for the San Francisco showings starting 9/23! Chevron's crimes certainly run wide and deep. Chevron's world headquarters are only miles from San Francisco.
Just last week 500 Richmond CA (15 mi north of SF) community members marched on Chevron's refinery in opposition to the pollution they have endured for over 100 years! While there over a dozen folks were arrested trying to deliver a letter to Chevron from the community of Richmond.
Just a few days ago in Manila Philippines, over 1,500 residents and advocates led a peaceful protest against the continued operations of the Chevron, Shell and Petron depot.
I'm thrilled Crude is opening in SF, and over 30 other cities, bringing this inspiring story to an entirely new audience! It's amazing, from Ecuador to Richmond, Philippines to Burma, communities are holding Chevron accountable.
Go see this movie! Get involved (Han does a great job making this easy above)!
Chevron is feeling the heat for their crimes, and we really are at an unprecedented point in transforming accountability of oil industry giants.
--re: Crude--Since I live in Moab UT and we won't likely get it on our 3 screen theatre (which is busy hosting GI Joe) what can I do to get a DVD of the film to screen in my community?
Since I live in Moab UT and we won't likely get it on our 3 screen theatre (which is busy hosting GI Joe) what can I do to get a DVD of the film to screen in my community?
I will definitely be at the 09/09/09 NYC screening -- and bringing as many people as possible! Thanks for outlining the ways to get involved in the campaign so clearly. This film is an amazing tool for pressuring Chevron to take accountability as well as alerting people to the devastation of the Ecuadorian Amazon and the many people there today who are still struggling to survive on their decimated, ancestral land.
Informative, well written blog. Glad to see the film is coming to Denver, I will get a posse together to go!
See Han Shan's Profile
Thanks Kiri– that's great about Denver. FYI if you rally a posse, there's a spot for group ticket sales on the official film site: http://www.crudethemovie.com/group-sales/
Also, check out the http://ChevronToxico.com/crude site for resources to help you spread the word and we could also send you postcards, etc.
Say hi to Phil for me... and to the Rockies!
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