Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2012

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off the Gulf of Mexico taking the lives of eleven workers as millions of barrels of oil poured into the ocean, creating one of the worst environmental disasters in history. DIRTY ENERGY tells the personal stories of those directly affected by the spill who are now struggling to rebuild their lives amidst the economic devastation and long-term health risks. The failure of BP and the federal government to confront this environmental calamity with honesty and integrity has had powerful consequences, but sadly the human cost has been greatly underestimated and hidden from the public. Today, the people of the Gulf are fighting for their livelihoods and for the preservation of a way of life that is now endangered. This is their story.