Crude2009

This documentary digs deep into illustrating the intensely long legal battle indigenous tribes in Ecuador suffered when they took Texaco-Chevron Oil Company to trial for dumping thousands of oil in their villages, affecting their streams and water supplies while contributing to a loss of vegetation, loss of biodiversity, loss of cultural traditions, increased infant mortality rates, toxic food, and higher rates of death from cancer. The documentary informs us of the power of visual evidence used in court cases as well as compelling qualitative data that may be used to support one's claim: e.g., interviews with local residents, b-roll of the devastation, and heart-wrenching testimonies. This documentary is a definite eye-opener about multi-billion dollar oil companies who simply must be held accountable when they devastate the very communities they seek to exploit or prosper from.

This story is so frustrating, so horrifically sad, it could radicalize just about anybody. One can easily draw parallels to Standing Rock, or pretty much any environmental or indigenous struggle in the world today. Great documentary.

This is Jess's boyfriend writing the review. Chevron is evil. It's hard to think about the fact that we let Chevron and Exxon carry on doing business.