The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2018 - A Crude Injustice
The aftermath of Australia’s biggest offshore oil disaster on the people of West Timor.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Jane Hammond
Watch A Crude Injustice on Vimeo on demand
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I was working as a journalist for The West Australian newspaper when this disaster took place.
I attended a media conference in the first few days of the disaster and the company was claiming that the area of the oil spill was not environmentally significant and that there would not be much environmental impact. As someone who had studied units in environmental science I knew this to be untrue and it piqued my interest.
I continued to follow the story and began talking to Ferdi Tanoni from the West Timor Care Foundation. He was reporting evidence of oil pollution and impacts on seaweed crops and fish stocks in West Timor. The oil company continued to claim that no oil had entered Indonesian waters. This claim was found to be untrue and a later Australian Government inquiry found that oil had entered Indonesian waters to a significant degree.
I took redundancy from The West Australian newspaper in 2012, like many other journalists, but continued to follow the story. I thought it needed a documentary to really give a voice to the people of West Timor so I went back to university to study filmmaking. I did the first version of this film as part of a Masters degree and then later gained funding to have the film edited by a professional editor. The result is A Crude Injustice.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film tells the story of an Australian oil spill and how people impacted by that spill have been neglected and ignored. It is a story of environmental justice and human rights and shows how regulatory oversight in Australia can and does fail.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The universal themes of justice, human rights and big corporations trampling over the rights of individuals come together as part of this story.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As filming proceeded the story unfolded and during the course of filming the people of West Timor found their voice and launched a class action against the oil company responsible for the spill that destroyed their livelihoods. The class action provided a significant end to the film. The legal action is ongoing and it is expected to take years to resolve.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has received good feedback and has been included in more than 20 film festivals around the world. It has picked up several awards.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I was surprised at how well the film was received in the US. The feedback showed how aware American audiences are of the impact of an oil spill having experienced their own oil spill disaster with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon spill.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am looking to spread awareness of this issue of environmental justice. I would like to find a broadcaster to screen it on TV or a distributor, but the main aim is to bring justice to the people impacted by this environmental disaster. The film also stands as an example of how regulatory oversight has failed in Australia. It illustrates what can happen when poor practice is allowed to flourish and it shows how in Australia when disasters happen companies can escape the consequences.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Anyone and everyone.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Ultimately I would like the film to help resolve this long running injustice by helping to get compensation to people impacted by the disaster. I would also hope that it can help show the folly of slack regulations and frontier oil exploration and drilling.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
When pollution crosses international borders and impacts heavily on the lives of people who had nothing to do with creating the pollution, who should pay? Does Australia have a moral obligation to look after its neighbours when its pollution crosses borders?
Would you like to add anything else?
That pretty much covers it but please contact me if you would like any further details.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Director Jane Hammond is working on a number of short documentary films concerning the fracking industry and its impact on land, water and health. Jane works for Lock the Gate Alliance on the anti-fracking campaign in Western Australia. In her spare time she is working on an Indonesian language version of A Crude Injustice and plans to take the film back to West Timor later this year to screen it in the villages where it was filmed.
Interview: May 2018
_______________________________________________________________________________
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
_______________________________________________________________________________
A Crude Injustice
The aftermath of Australia’s biggest offshore oil disaster on the people of West Timor.
Length: 26 minutes
Director: Jane Hammond
Producer: Jane Hammond
Writer: Jane Hammond and Nick Dunlop
About the writer, director and producer:
Director/producer/cinematographer Jane Hammond: Jane Hammond is an independent filmmaker and journalist specializing in stories of environmental justice and human rights.
Editor and Co writer Nick Dunlop: Nick Dunlop is a freelance editor, producer and director. His work ranges from broadcast documentary to feature film, short drama and corporate projects.
Key cast: Narrated by Myles Pollard.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distributor and a broadcaster and any other interested parties.
Social media handles: @ACrudeInjustice
Facebook: @ACrudeInjustice
Twitter: @hearyanow
Other: Website: www.ACrudeInjustice.com.au
Funders: developed with the assistance of Screenwest and Lotterwest. Part of the FTI Philanthropy Program. Also funded by crowd funding.
Made in association with: Fremantle Freelance Productions. Supported by The Wilderness Society & Sea Shepherd
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival