The devastating ecological impact of the world's insatiable appetite for petroleum is the subject of Peter Mettler's documentary, which focuses on the region of northern Canada where bitumen (a kind of heavy crude oil) is being extracted from the tar sands through a process that involves the injection of superheated water into the soil—resulting in both the deforestation of large areas and the construction of pipelines and refineries in a territory that might eventually reach the size of England, with enormous effects on air and water quality as well as the land and wildlife. Mettler tells this story entirely through enthralling aerial footage that contrasts the lush, untouched forest areas with regions either devastated by the mining process or where massive industrial operations have been built (titles identify the locales and explain the details, while the soundtrack is comprised of a spare but penetrating musical score. Not until the film is nearly over do we hear a human voice, talking about the inventor of the extraction procedure, who died regretting what it was doing to the landscape. DVD extras include a slideshow and interviews with local residents, scientists, and activists. A starkly powerful indictment of an activity that wreaks environmental havoc in the name of progress, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands
(2010) 70 min. DVD: $298. Icarus Films. PPR. Volume 26, Issue 2
Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands
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