Crude (2009)

The story of lawsuit by tens of thousands of Ecuadorans against Chevron over contamination of the Ecuadorean Amazon.

Director:

Joe Berlinger

Stars:

Dan Ashley, Pablo Fajardo, Kent Robertson

12 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dan Ashley	...	Himself - ABC 7 News (archive footage)
Pablo Fajardo	...	Himself
Kent Robertson	...	Himself - Chevron
German Yanez	...	Himself (as Judge German Yanez)
Adolfo Callejas	...	Himself (as Dr. Adolfo Callejas)
Ebergeldo Criollo	...	Himself
Steve Donziger	...	Himself - Attorney
Atossa Soltani	...	Herself
Joseph Kohn	...	Himself - Attorney
Maria Garafalo	...	Herself - San Carlos Resident
Sara McMillen	...	Herself - Chevron
Ricardo Reis Veiga	...	Himself - Chevron
Diego Larrea	...	Himself - Attorney
Alejandro Ponce	...	Himself - Attorney
Rosa Moreno	...	Herself - San Carlos Resident

Storyline

One of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. An inside look at the infamous $27 billion "Amazon Chernobyl" case, CRUDE is a real-life high stakes legal drama set against a backdrop of the environmental movement, global politics, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, the media, multinational corporate power, and rapidly-disappearing indigenous cultures. Presenting a complex situation from multiple viewpoints, the film examines a complicated situation from several angles while bringing a story of environmental peril and human suffering into focus.

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Plot Keywords:

environmental disaster | oil | one word title

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

15 January 2010 (UK)

Also Known As:

Argo petrelaio

Filming Locations:

Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$16,595 (USA) (11 September 2009)

Gross:

$170,295 (USA) (27 August 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Entendre Films, Radical Media, Red Envelope Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 105 min (European Film Market)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Footage not included in the documentary was later used as evidence of fraud on behalf of the plaintiffs in US courts.

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Quotes

Protester at 2008 Chevron Shareholders meeting: [Protester at 2008 Chevron Shareholders meeting] In Ecuador as in Nigeria, as in Richmond, as in Iraq, as in Burma, this company chose profit over people. It's clear that this company has no moral responsibility, no ethics. And that's why we're all here.

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Connections

References Cobra Verde (1987)

User Reviews

Another Documentary To Get Your Dander Up, Over

In the past 15 (or so)years,Joe Berlinger has certainly crafted his share of eye opening,edgy documentaries. From 'Brothers Keeper',to 'Paradise Lost',and 'Metallica:Some Kind Of Monster'(all co-directed with Bruce Sinofsky),and now,'Crude'. The film concerns a village in Amazonian South America (located in Ecuador)that attempts to take the oil giant,Chevron to court to sue for environmental damage & the mass destruction it has done to both the infrastructure,as well as the cancer that has resulted in Chevron's dumping of toxic oil spills in the water supply for the people who live in the various villages there. We get to view the talking heads on both sides of the argument (the villagers,the environmental advocates,as well as the oil companies and their scuzzy,bottom feeding, corporate ambulance chasers that back them up). Along the way,we are also treated to some vintage clips from Chevron's promotional films,which were generally screened to their stock holders at various meetings over the years,with countless misleading messages. As with other documentaries directed by Berlinger,some unpleasant video footage of the horrors of environmental rape brought on by careless dumping of toxic materials are to be expected (this is NOT a film for munching popcorn by,so be prepared). Spoken in Spanish with English subtitles,as well as English. Not rated by the MPAA,but contains some upsetting footage of the devastation of environmental damage & the horrors that result. Not a good choice for small children.