Big energy corporations normally get what they want. When Shell discovered an undersea natural gas field off Ireland’s west coast, they swung into action. The plan was to build a giant, high-pressure pipe to transport raw gas through the town of Rossport to an inland refinery. Unfortunately, no one asked the residents of Rossport, who feared the risks of explosions and environmental hazards. The Pipe chronicles the crusade of Irish farmers and fishermen who rise up against Shell. For locals, the pipe isn’t a sign of prosperity, but a threat to their way of life. The film plunges us into violent clashes between protestors and police. As tensions mount, the community divides over how to confront Shell. The conflict widens to draw in Catholic priests and even the Irish political leader, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
The Pipe reminds us again how a multinational corporation can deploy vast resources to battle dissenters.
Wybrane nagrody i festiwale /Selected festivals and awards: 2010 – MFF Toronto/Toronto IFF,
2010 – MFF Londyn/London IFF