Last year, berlinger released crude, an excellent documentary about this lengthy, complex legal battle. Crudes important story, and what you can do to help. Spirit awardwinning filmmaker joe berlinger thinks of himself as a storyteller first and a journalist second, which explains why his documentaries are more cinematic than the norm. This attentiongrabbing documentary directed by joe berlinger brothers keeper centers on the dramatic story of a legal case that has dragged on for years. The real price of oil, which tells the story of an epic lawsuit filed against chevron by 30,000 indigenous rainforest dwellers in the ecuadorian amazon. I also dont want to delude people into thinking that my subject is talking directly to them. Berlinger s films include the landmark documentaries brothers keeper, paradise lost, and metallica. Some kind of monster tells the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. Berlinger s films include the landmark documentaries brothers keeper, the paradise lost trilogy, which helped lead to the recent release of the. News youre invited to the 2020 series a conversation. With his best friend and frequent collaborator bruce sinofsky, berlinger has co.
Recently, a judge ordered crude film director joe berlinger to turn over outtakes from his film about alleged pollution by texaco now owned by chevron in the amazon of ecuador. Crude s important story, and what you can do to help 03182010 05. Other notable films include crude, under african skies, and the immensely popular netflix original doc tony robbins. Had i made paradise lost today, joe berlinger tells me, it would have been shorter. Joe berlinger joseph berlinger is an american filmmaker, and producer. The candid footage has come to light because chevrons lawyers persuaded a federal judge in new york to force a filmmaker who chronicled the legal fight, joe berlinger. By interspersing the fictionalized account with archival footage to accentuate the clues that point to what liz refuses to accept, berlinger counteracts some of the moments that may seem overthetop or simply too unfeasible to be real. He also openly discusses his feelings about the making of west of memphis, another documentary about the. Three years in the making, this riveting new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker joe berlinger brothers keeper, paradise lost, metallica.
Tv programs, segments, or promotional pieces documentary the system with joe berlinger 2014 winner bronze telly. Crude is the latest masterpiece from filmmaker joe berlinger brothers keeper, paradise lost, metallica. Rarely have such conflicts been examined with the depth and power of joe berlinger s documentary crude. Chevron corporation subpoenaed the outtakes from berlinger s 2009 film crude. Crude director joe berlinger on chevron oil in the. The plaintiffs claim that texaco which merged with chevron in 2001 spent three decades systematically. In addition, they directly released toxic waste directly. His films draw attention to social justice issues in the us and abroad in such films as paradise lost.
Moving briskly through a strangerthanfiction, serpentine narrative that is still unfolding, joe berlinger s remarkable documentary, crude, recounts an infuriating litany of south american. This riveting film tells the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. The decision involved director joe berlinger and his 2009 documentary crude, which chronicled ecuadoran residents class action suit against chevron over environmental damage to a rain. Back in june, i had the opportunity to talk with director joe berlinger about his new documentary crude, which is now screening at e street. Six questions for joe berlinger about crude harpers. Crude director joe berlinger fights against chevrons. Joe particularly focuses on true crime documentaries. Three years in the making, crude tells the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. Basically, it is alleged that a 1700 square mile area, the size of rhode island, has become a cancer deathzone due to negligent drilling practices, which included the creation of these probably over unlined pits where raw crude and toxic waste was dumped, and this material continues to leech into the water table.
Tv programssegments the system with joe berlinger 2014 winner silver telly. The real price of oil, points out that the bp spill is finally bringing americans attention to the damage caused by. Crude is a 2009 american documentary film directed and produced by joe berlinger. Some kind of monster, a film that redefined the rockumentary genre. A pioneer in the genre of true crime documentaries, berlinger draws attention to social justice issues in the us and abroad with such landmark documentaries as brothers keeper. Joseph berlinger born october 30, 1961 is an american filmmaker and producer. Rather than attacking the oil industry as a whole, berlinger is simply showing a single story. Historians, scholars and filmmakers come together in berlinger s cinematic exploration of the tangled web of responsibility that has driven a century of denial by the turkish government and its strategic allies. With dan ashley, pablo fajardo, kent robertson, german yanez. Joe berlinger biography, age, wife, paradise lost, ted. Cancer prevention research is poised to enter the molecular biology era. Watch crude, the ecuadorian documentary by joe berlinger fandor.
Three years in the making, this cinemaverite feature from acclaimed filmmaker joe berlinger brothers keeper, paradise lost, metallica. Academy award and eighttime emmy nominated and peabody and emmywinning filmmaker joe berlinger has been a leading voice in nonfiction film and television for two decades. Three years in the making, crude tells the epic story of one of the. Democratic presidential candidate joe biden says sexual. Chemiomics will usher a new wave of prevention, creating an atmosphere in which testing for potential carcinogens prior to releasing millions of gallons into the environment will be a requirement for manufacturing company survival. Wrong man takes a deep dive into three cases of inmates who have been incarcerated for decades and claim that they are innocent, with the help of an esteemed and engaging group of experts. Captive beauty 2011 crude 2009 extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile 2019 from the ashes 2017 gray matter 2004 hank. In 2009, filmmaker joe berlinger released crude, a documentary that followed key players in a multibilliondollar classaction lawsuit against. Not able to justify the high number of cases of cancer in nonsmokers chevron stooges pretending to be doctors blame it on second hand smoke. Crude by joe berlinger joe berlinger, pablo fajardo, luis. The system with joe berlinger 2014 winner bronze telly. Joe berlinger crude discusses the holiday box set release of his documentary trilogy, codirected with the late bruce sinofsky, the paradise lost trilogy.
Joe berlinger s documentary crude isnt like most films about aggrieved, impoverished people rising up against corporate malefactors. Born in bridgeport, connecticut, in 1961, berlinger studied english and german at colgate university, and got his first taste of the movie business while working on tv. The story of lawsuit by tens of thousands of ecuadorans against. Crude constitutes joe berlinger s account of texacos alleged pollution in ecuador massive oil spills that reportedly contributed to tens of thousands of cases of illness and an untold number of deaths, and nearly extinguished the population of an entire village. When chevron saw director joe berlinger s 2009 documentary crude, a behindthescenes look at the lawsuit, the company believed it had found cinematic proof of.
Joe berlinger is an academy award and eighttime emmy nominated filmmaker with credits that include the landmark documentaries brothers keeper, metallica. Joe berlinger and the moral imperative of crude huffpost. The plaintiffs are 30,000 individuals, including members of five indigenous tribes and colonial settlers in ecuador who allege that over the course of its quest for oil, texaco dumped over 18 billion gallons of. Berlinger fought the request, citing reporters privilege, but in 2010 a federal judge ordered berlinger to turn over more than 600 hours of footage created during the films production. It follows a twoyear portion of an ongoing class action lawsuit against the chevron corporation in ecuador. The documentarian in 2009, filmmaker joe berlinger released crude, a documentary that followed key players in. Chevron and crudes joe berlinger locked in a legal. The chimneys of industry rise over adua, and the world seethes with. Interview with joe berlinger director of the documentary crude duration. Chevron is one of the largest donors to the american cancer society another socalled unbiased agency. Court rules against joe berlinger on crude variety.