'I wanted to shoot all those uncaring officials'

By Daniel Nelson Joe Berlinger describes making Crude as “heartbreaking and inspiring”. That will surely also be the verdict of most viewers. It’s heartbreaking to see Ecuadorian Amazon villagers struggling to survive – literally, in the case of some of their ailing children – in an area polluted by billion of gallons of toxic waste dumped as a byproduct of oil extraction. And it’s heartening to see how activists from the indigenous community, helped by the can-do drive of a US lawyer, retain their humanity, humour and determination in the face of massive, ruthless corporate power. I was left with other emotions, too – anger and frustration: with Chevron and with uncaring government and corporate officials happy to parrot bland assurances in order to maintain the comfort of their padded, self-satisfied lives. I wanted to shoot them. What else can you feel when powerless people are confronted by almost limitless corporate might and money? Berlinger didn’t help the feelings of negativity when he told a London screening at the Flea Pit in east London in June that some observers believe the court case, a class action on behalf of 30,000 villagers and already a decade-and-a-half old, could run for another 10 years. His own view was even bleaker: “I don’t think there’ll ever be a resolution to the lawsuit. I don’t think it will ever come to a conclusion.” He took three years to make the film. As well as telling the story of a people’s fight for justice, it serves as a case-study of similar campaigns around the world. Three crucial points in the story are the election of President Rafael Correa, who is more responsive to the concerns of ordinary people than previous leaders (he even visits the area, which his predecessors had previously not bothered to do), coverage of the story in a major US publication (Vanity Fair) and the involvement of pop singer Sting’s wife, Trudie Styler – politics, media and celebrity. The heart sinks when Styler appears, but the way she takes up the case is pivotally important and she doesn’t put a foot wrong in her words or her actions. As Berlinger says, “I don’t think it was a celebrity drive-by. They [Styler and her Rainforest Foundation] didn’t come for the photo op. They brought water – the government didn’t, Unicef didn’t, at least initially.” Berlinger inevitably simplifies but manages to indicate some of the complexities of the story, and by not caricaturing Chevron, which took over the oil claim from Texaco and handed it on to the national oil company, he has ensured that the film has been treated as journalism rather than agitprop by the mainstream media. It’s no wonder the film won the International Documentary prize in the 2009 One World Media Awards, even though its short-listed rivals were also exceptional - Burma VJ and Waltz with Bashir . That still leaves the big question, put simply by a member of the London audience: What can I do? Berlinger’s reply: check the website for possible actions, give money to Styler’s project, now run by the UN Children’s Fund, which is enabling the people in the affected area to tap sizeable amounts of rainwater, be more discriminating about which products you buy. * One World Media Awards * Crude * Burma VJ; Waltz with Bashir .

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