Friday, October 14, 2011
First impressions: oil disaster doc The Big Fix
Posted by Alex Woodward on Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM
The Big Fix's cold open starts years before the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion on April 20, 2010. Archive footage illustrates how the company then-named British Petroleum, aided by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the CIA and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, wrangled control of Iran's government and retained rights to its plentiful oil fields. The Islamic revolution, in part a response to the Western seizure of Iran, ended BP's occupation — leaving the documentary to consider where else BP would need to go to support its oil habits: The Gulf of Mexico.
What follows is nothing new, synthesizing the last year of oil disaster coverage — from its victims living on the coast, impacts to their health and wellbeing, impacts to wildlife, bumbling media coverage, lack of media coverage, denied media access, seafood safety, the countdown "soap opera" drama, Tony Hayward and the inevitable transfer of power, the oil's return... a dizzying display of corporate defiance, government ineptitude and flat-out lies and deceptions, all stacked into a two-hour block for national and international viewers. It has the makings of a conspiracy thriller, but clearly this is for a disaster we know is real, ongoing, and has nothing working against it.
Louisiana native Josh Tickell and with his wife Rebecca direct the film, a sort of follow up to their 2008 doc Fuel, which had its New Orleans release in June 2010. Tickell takes the same celebrity players along for the ride to south Louisiana: Peter Fonda and Amy Smart visit shrimpers, residents, captains and beaches. Tickell narrates, but frequently the film gets personal — hidden cameras, sneaking onto beaches, and Rebecca experiencing symptoms doctor-diagnosed as chemical exposure following several boat trips in dispersant-sprayed waterways.
The film takes a step back and evaluates just how much influence oil and gas companies have on national politics. From post-Kingfish Louisiana to the "revolving door" policy (a la the John Breaux-Trent Lott lobby group) to campaign contributions — a network of clear-cut influence from Big Oil into Washington D.C. and elsewhere, while oil companies stomp out legislation for environmental and regulatory oversight, leaving companies like BP to get away with as much as possible with as little interference as possible. We know the consequences. The Gulf Waterkeeper Alliance just released its 2011 State of the Gulf report, counting millions of gallons of oil and gas discharged into Gulf waters from September 2010 to September 2011. BP plugged its leaking well in August 2010.
For all its messy imagery and oftentimes hamfisted civil rights rallying cries, The Big Fix is a massively important film, if only because, as American Zombie writes, it "may be the best opportunity we have to get the truth out about the reality of this oil spill." Rolling Stone contributor Jeff Goddell says we need so badly a wakeup call — and if this disaster isn't big enough, what the hell is?
The film screens tonight at 8:45 p.m. at the Prytania Theater, and again 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Chalmette Movies. Tickets are available online for the Wednesday screening.
Comments (2)
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I hope the film covers how the blowout fits into (here let me pause and denounce myself for mentioning this) the so-called "Goldman Sachs Conspiracy", which you may find copiously interpreted on the web.
--buddy larsen
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dislikeOil Spill Eater II There was a non toxic Alternative to clean up the spill that has been successfully tested by BP after 10 months of spill damages. The Coast Guard sent a letter from headquarters stating to the FOSC to take action with OSE II, and the EPA, Lisa Jackson stopped the Coast Guard from allowing BP from implementing OSE II. In fact the EPA stopped the application of OSE II 11 times denying State Senators direct request for use of OSE II from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. La Department of environmental requested the use of OSE II as well, EPA's Sam Coleman denied their request without reason. Governor Jindal tried to get OSE II demonstrated on the Chandelier Islands on May 6, 2010, and the EPA stopped the Governor as well. The EPA in fact stopped the use of OSE II 11 times, without a reason given. Had the EPA allowed Governor Jindal to allow the demonstration of OSE II on May 6, 2010, it is possible a significant portion of the environmental damages, including the shorelines and the seafood industry would have been spared. The toxicty test comparison between OSE II and corexit really cannot be compared since with corexit, the label states it can cause red blood cells to burst, kidney, and liver problems if a chemical suit and respirator are not worn. OSE II in contrast can be used to wash your hands and is non toxic. The BP Deep Horizon spill has proven that corexit only sinks oil and causes the same oil to be addressed a second time when it comes ashore as under water plumes, or tar balls, while OSE II has a substantiated end point of converting oil to CO2 and water. See Coast Guard letter below
U. S. Department
of Homeland Security
United States
Coast Guard
Commanding Officer 1 Chelsea Street
U. S. Coast Guard New London, CT 06320
Research and Development Center Staff Symbol: Contracting Office
Phone: (860) 271-2807
July 10, 2010
OSEI Corporation
P.O. Box 515429
Dallas, TX 75251
Attn: Steven Pedigo, President/Owner
DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE BAA HSCG32-10-R-R00019, TRACKING #2003954
We are pleased to inform you that the initial screening of your White Paper submitted under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) HSCG32-10-R-R00019 has been completed. It has been determined that your White Paper submission has a potential for benefit to the spill response effort.
Your White Paper has been forwarded to the Deepwater Horizon Response Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) for further action under its authority. Subject to the constraints and needs of the ongoing oil spill response, you may be contacted by the FOSC or the responsible party.
We appreciate your interest in supporting the Deepwater Horizon Response effort.
Contracting Officer /s/
USCG R&D Center
