Is éard atá i CRUDE ná cur síos ar chás dlí a thóg Steven Donzinger agus Pablo Fijardo ar son mhuintir Cofán ón Amasóin in Eacuadór. Freastalaíonn siad ar Chruinniú Chinn Bhliana Chevron i 2006, le tacaíocht ó Amazon Watch [www.amazonwatch.org ] chun scéal an nimh a fágadh ina dtimpeallacht a insint agus chun éileamh go dtabharfadh an chomhlacht, atá dírithe ar bhrabús amháin, cothrom na Féinne dóibh.

Seo cur síos ó na daoine féin ar chaillteanas a dtalamh, a gcultúr, a gcuid gaolta, a sláinte agus a ndínit. ‘Dhúisigh an scannán seo mé’, arsa Joe Berlinger. Taispeánadh CRUDE don chéad uair in Éirinn ag Féile Scannán Chorcaí [www.corkfilmfest.org/2009/films/319/crude ] i Samhain 2009.

Is tráthúil an taispeántas atá anseo arís, agus Murascaill Mheicsiceó millte ag BP. Cé thug ceadúnas do Chevron (Texaco an uair sin) chun cuartú i gCoillte Báistí an Eacuadóir ? Ce thug an ceadúnas do BP drilleáil go domhain chun ola a fháil i Muarascaill Mheicsiceo ? Agus cé thug cead do Shell Ionad Próiseála Gáis a thógáil i gCo. Mhaigh Eo, ainneoin an dochar do limistéar speisialta chaomhnaithe an Aontas Eorpaigh [www.shelltosea.com ] ?

CRUDE documents a legal case taken by Steven Donzinger and Pablo Fijardo on behalf of the Cofán people in the Ecuadoran Amazon against Chevron. They attend the Chevron AGM, supported by Amazon Watch [www.amazonwatch.org ] in 2006 to tell the toxic legacy in their environment, and that the profit driven corporation fulfil their ethical and moral obligations to its community.

It is a firsthand account of the indigenous peoples’ loss of their land, culture, loved ones, health and dignity. ‘For me, the making of this film was a wake-up call’, Joe Berlinger. CRUDE had its Irish premiere at the Cork Film Festival [www.corkfilmfest.org/2009/films/319/crude ] in November 2009.

Its screening is again timely, with the despoilment of the Gulf of Mexico by BP. Who gave Chevron (then Texaco) a licence to explore in the Ecuadoran Rainforest? Who gave BP the licence to deep water drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico? And who gave the go-ahead to Shell to construct a gas terminal in Mayo, Ireland, despite its impact on EU designated SACs [www.shelltosea.com ]?