“Shocking!“
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That was the reaction at the Toronto Premier of the Oscar-nominated documentary Downstream at Bloor Cinema.
The gut-wrenching film by Academy Award and Emmy Nominated director Leslie Iwerks follows the fight of a Northern Alberta doctor to save the lives of aboriginal people dying of a rare form of cancer caused by living downstream from toxic tar sands.
After the curtain closes, the audience of 800 shuffles out of the theatre into the bright lights of downtown Toronto, wiping their eyes and shaking their heads.
Why are we still so surprised? As Iwerks said, the tar sands are just the tip of the iceberg.
“I was surprised about how little people knew,” said Downstream producer Philip Alberstat. “We live in nice cities, in nice homes. But once you go up north, you’d be shocked by what goes on.”
The film shocked others too. The Alberta government considered refusing future funding to films critical of the tar sands after Downstream – subsidized by the Alberta Film Development Fund – was released.
Said Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaign Coordinator Ferguson, “Tar sands are one of the largest industrial projects in human history. And it involves some of the most powerful players in the world. Companies involved, like Shell and Exxon, are making over $400 billion a year each.”
According to the film, the number of tar sands are going to triple by 2015. By 2020 the emissions from Alberta oil fields will be more than double the amount of all the cars in Canada.
“It’s a daunting fight,” said Ferguson. “But it’s one we have to win.”
Jack Layton, who was presenting the documentary along with wife and MP Olivia Chow, reminded the audience that Toronto city council once proposed shipping the city’s excess garbage to an abandoned mine in the north where it would have leaked out into the water system and polluted the surrounding communities.
That proposal was only defeated by one vote.
