Crude

Life was once comfortable for the indigenous tribes that live in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador. That is, until “the company”– known to Americans as the colossal corporation Texaco– arrived and started building oil wells. This led to tremendous amounts of toxic water contaminated with oil to spill into the marshes and rivers of the area. Over a decade later, the inhabitants of the jungle are contracting numerous diseases and dying at a young age. CRUDE brings the audience into the middle of one of the biggest environmental lawsuits to date, which has been called a modern day David versus Goliath. Plaintiff attorneys, Pablo Fajardo and Steven Donziger, go head to head with Texaco's top legal representatives to let the world know of the destruction that has been caused. After gaining the attention of celebrities and achieving a cover story in “Vanity Fair,” the underdogs slowly make progression in this case heard round the world. But will it be enough to stop this giant company from successfully silencing the voice of thousands of innocent people? (In English and Spanish, A'ingae, and Secoya with English subtitles) – L.W.