An award-winning team brings a timeous new documentary called Black Black Oil that examines the interconnection between oil, finance and the challenges for the UK to keep its emissions at 1.5%, according to the Paris Climate.
Black Black Oil draws on the voices of young activists, oil company executives, economists and pension fund managers to explore the vital questions that affect all our lives. With five to ten years left to control our oil addiction, the licensing of new oil fields such as the Cambo oil field off Shetland is seen to be in direct contradiction to the Government’s alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement and hosting of COP26. This documentary looks at how the drama of global climate action is playing out in the fight over North Sea oil while exploring the complexities of transitioning away from oil and gas as a society and considers how quickly it can be done.
Director Emma Davie said “This documentary was initiated by a sense the urgency of addressing the issue of the oil in our own backyard. It seems that the huge ‘elephant in the room’ in terms of Scotland’s or the UK’s aspiration to be climate change leaders is North Sea Oil. We wanted to bring together disparate voices involved in the interlinking worlds of oil, finance, activism who would normally never dialogue together. We sought to express an emotional as well as analytical look at where we are at with North Sea Oil – it seems incredible that in 50 years so much has changed. The changes coming are, of course, even more radical and we wanted to understand how they might be implemented in the complex world of oil.”
Black Black Oil is a Sonja Henrici Creates production for BBC Scotland,supported by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery through Screen Scotland.
Producer Sonja Henrici said “In this pivotal year, with COP26 taking place in Glasgow, and so much pressure to shift things, we wanted to make a film which really was a ‘state of the nation’ work, from many different perspectives on the subject. We were not seeking easy answers, but felt that the problems need to be clearly named and explored for us to move forward. By hearing very different opinions about the future of North Sea Oil, we hope to look at the real complexities of transitioning from oil as a society.”
Black Black Oil, that is part of BBC Scotland’s programming looking at climate and environmental issues ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, airs for the first time on the BBC Scotland channel at 10.00 pm on Wednesday 3rd November and will be available thereafter on BBC iPlayer.
A feature documentary for cinema release is currently in production.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 