“Crude” Documentary Takes on Big Oil

Posted by Suzanne Bopp at September 25, 2009 11:30 AM | Permalink

Some reviewers say it could have come from a John Grisham novel, but the story told in the documentary “Crude” is quite real, a David-and-Goliath story whose themes seem all too familiar.

The subject is a one of the largest legal cases on earth: a class-action suit filed by 30,000 citizens of Ecuador against big oil company Chevron. The suit claims that between 1972 and 1990, 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater were dumped into the Amazon River, poisoning, land, water and people. It could cost San Ramon-based Chevron $27 billion.

Though the case has been working its way through the courts for 16 years, there is still no verdict in sight.

The film, directed by Joe Berlinger, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year and is in theaters now.

-- Suzanne Bopp

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