H2Oil – the movie – Nov 18, 7.30pm for 8.00 at Java Lounge.
Independent Cinema, in conjunction with the Co-Operative, is pleased to be screening H2Oil – a ‘story of discovery, heartbreak and politicization’. This is the 4th screening in Independent Cinema’s season of free events, and we’re very grateful to the Co-Operative for sponsoring the license fee to allow us to show this important film – which has been chosen to tie in with their terrific Street Gallery, showing now on North Quay. If you haven’t yet been down to see this, it’s well worth the visit – amazing and quite affecting photos of the ways in which the exploitation of Canada’s tar sands, in the pursuit of oil, is wreaking havoc on the local and wider environment . It’s entitled ‘Tarnished Earth’, and with good reason.
It’s free to come along and join us on the evening, but if you’re happy and able to drop a donation in the bucket, all proceeds will be going to the One World Centre (see below).
H2Oil: the movie. Ever wondered where America gets most of its oil? If you thought it was Saudi Arabia or Iraq you are wrong. America’s biggest oil supplier has quickly become Canada’s oil sands. Located under Alberta’s pristine boreal forests, the process of oil sands extraction uses up to 4 barrels of fresh water to produce only one barrel of crude oil. It goes without saying that water — its depletion, exploitation, privatization and contamination — has become the most important issue to face humanity in this century. At the same time, the war for oil is well underway across the globe. A struggle is increasingly being fought between water and oil, not only over them. Alberta’s oil sands are at the centre of this tension. As the province rushes towards a large-scale extraction, the social, ecological and human impacts are hitting a crisis point. In only a few short years the continent will be a crisscross of pipelines, reaching from the arctic all the way to the southern US, leaving toxic water basins the size of Lake Ontario, and surface-mines as large as Florida.
H2Oil follows a voyage of discovery, heartbreak and politicization in the stories of those attempting to defend water in Alberta against tar sands expansion. Unlikely alliances are built and lives are changed as they come up against the largest industrial project in human history. Ultimately this great film asks - what is more important, oil or water? And what will be the response? With hope and courage H2Oil tells the story of one of the most significant, and destructive projects of our time.
Independent Cinema is an occasional film group, showing films and other content which carries a message consistent with that of the One World Centre (http://www.oneworldcentreiom.org/). The events are free, but we will have the collecting buckets out for the OWC so if you’re able to make a donation, no matter how small, we’ll be very grateful. We're deeply indebted to the lovely chaps at the Java Lounge, Daniel Aziz and Keong Cheung, for accommodating us.
Comfy sofas, great coffee and inspiring films – how great is that?
