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Oscar. H Blayton
Bunmi Adekunle
CareTaker 
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Dave O'Cube
Don Thieme
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Ella Romanos
Charles E.
Mojolaoluwa Caxton-Naibi
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Misi A.
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Thomas Gowans
Ugo Daniels
Veronica Henry
Vic 
Oluwole Akindutire
Xcroc 
William J. Zick
SWEET CRUDE: A Film about the Oil-rich Niger Delta
Posted by: CareTaker on May 13, 2008 Under: Africa, Community Report, Discussion Lounge, Documentary, Feature, Life & Culture, Nigeria
Muti ThisPetroleum (crude oil) comes out of the ground with varying chemical composition. “Sweet” refers to low levels of sulfur and hydrogen. This less corrosive make-up allows for simpler facilities and equipment, thus easier and cheaper refining. Sweet crude is typically preferred for gasoline processing – and is the most popular type of oil futures commodity contracts. The Niger Delta produces some of the “sweetest” crude in the world.
| Sweet Crude…watch the preview |
Sweet Crude is the story of Nigeria’s Niger Delta – a story that’s never been captured in a feature-length film.
Beginning with the filmmaker’s initial trip to document the building of a library in a remote village, Sweet Crude is a journey of multilayered revelation and ever-deepening questions. It’s about survival, corruption, greed and armed resistance. It’s about one place in one moment, with themes that echo many places throughout history. Sweet Crude shows the humanity behind the statistics, events and highly sensationalized media portrayal of the region. Set against a stunning backdrop of Niger Delta footage, the film gives voice to the region’s complex mix of stakeholders and invites the audience to learn the deeper story.
The issues are local and human, yet they have far-reaching political, environmental and economic implications. It’s a powder-keg situation that affects the daily lives and futures of the people who live there. Left unchecked, its consequences will be felt around the globe. Yet barely anyone outside the Delta knows what’s really happening.
Why do we care enough to make this movie? Because raising awareness just might be the tipping point it takes to head off civil war. Because the kids of the Delta deserve a future. Because what happens in Nigeria ripples through African political stability and global economic markets. Because Nigeria produces more than 10 percent of the U.S. oil supply. Ultimately, the events unfolding in the Niger Delta affect us all.
It will take a vigilant world community to advocate for nonviolent political solutions. With this independent documentary, we take a stand for a more truthful conversation, with the hope that a more educated public will hold governments and big oil accountable to peaceful and just resolution.
News:
On April 12, 2008, members of the Sweet Crude filmmaking crew were detained by the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) while traveling by boat in the Niger Delta.
Seattle-based Director Sandy Cioffi, Producer Tammi Sims, and photojournalists Sean Porter and Cliff Worsham, along with Nigerian-American Joel Bisina, were taken into custody and subsequently handed over to the Nigerian State Security Services.
They were held for seven days without being charged and without access to legal counsel. They were released Friday, April 18.
Misi | May 14, 2008 | Reply
There is so much anger here. Why are our leaders seating back with their hands folded? They know the solution to these people’s troubles but yet they have refused to do anything about it. Meanwhile they (government) are getting fat from the wealth flowing from these people’s land. Things cannot continue like this government and multinational oil companies must find an amicable solution that will appease the people of Niger-Delta beyond building schools etc. It just isn’t fair.
Omotaylor | May 15, 2008 | Reply
Saddening, frustrating and indeed makes me angry even though I am not from the Niger-Delta. Nigeria lacks value for human life and the government and the governed should really feel ashamed of this sort of situation. Now my question, what steps can we as the ordinary but touched and concerned people of Nigeria do - collectively. Pro active actions need done. Do we on African Loft start a chain of signatures and comments and post to Aso Rock on behalf of Niger-Delta? Or would this be considered too little too late? Posterity will judge many in Nigeria. This is RAPE on the people of Niger-Delta. So sad.
Xcroc | May 15, 2008 | Reply
This comes from a user comment at the Internet Movie Database from someone who saw it in Seattle. I hope to hear when the movie is released.
The oil companies work with the government all the time to make policy, although they claim they have no part in that.
I understand these statistics on Nigeria come from the World bank, though I don’t have a link to that source:
80% of oil wealth is owned by 1% of the population;
70% of private wealth is abroad whilst 3/4 of the country live on about $1 a day;
at least 15 million of those live in the Niger Delta
That concentration of wealth, and particularly being held outside the country will need to be addressed. That wealth needs to be invested in the country. Communities and countries get richer when they reinvest their money in themselves.
I’ve read about the movie several times and plan to see it when I get an opportunity. Thanks for posting!
CareTaker | May 17, 2008 | Reply
Several of the measures crafted to give the people of the Niger Delta a sense of belonging have been top-down, and with little collaboration with the communities on which the crude flows. For Nigeria to see a turn-around in the region, the grassroots must be brought on board, the Land Use Act - which favors the government over the people - must be revised, and the oil companies must be held to higher standard. These call for Nigerian administrators to be more socially responsible and the local folks less militant, but more united in purpose.