CRUDE

30,000 indigenous Ecuadorian people vs. one multinational oil giant: the so-called "Amazon Chernobyl" trial is a David and Goliath story for the 21^st Century. Joe Berlinger delves into a complex, long-running legal battle in which Chevron is accused of being responsible for years of systematic contamination of one of the most biodiverse areas of the planet, causing irreversible ecological damage in the Amazon Jungle and creating a "death zone", with high rates of cancer, birth defects and other health problems. Berlinger lays bare the human suffering that lies at the heart of this epic judicial struggle and examines the multitude of issues that surround it: corporate power, individual rights, celebrity advocacy, political responsibility, justice, our impact on the environment and the decline of the world’s indigenous cultures. Filmed over the course of three years and pulled together from over 600 hours of footage, Crude takes care to show all sides of the landmark trial’s complex scientific and legal arguments. A deeply provocative, high-stakes courtroom drama.

"I wanted to break from the standard formula of an environmental disaster exposé, and create a unique and challenging cinematic experience that brings an audience into a world they probably have never seen before." Joe Berlinger

Editing Award, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Missoula / Montana 2009