In the Shadow of a Saint
Ken Saro-wiwa – poet, author, screenwriter and businessman – was an inspirational leader of the organization he founded, the Movement to Save the Ogoni People – MOSOP. A professed follower of non-violence, Ken Saro-wiwa struggled to improve the living conditions of the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta region under the watchful eye of a brutal dictatorship. His death was a tragedy.
The relationship between Shell Oil, Ogoniland and Ken Saro-wiwa is discussed in Crude Impact. Unfortunately, no representative of Shell Oil speaks in the film. An effort was made to get someone from Shell Oil to interview on camera, but we were not successful.
In fairness to Shell, I feel compelled to present their side of situation in Ogoniland and their view of the trial and death of Ken Saro-wiwa. You may read a statement by Brian Anderson, the Shell Oil senior executive in Nigeria at the time of Ken Saro-wiwa’s death: Execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his co-defendants – Statement by SPDC Managing Director Brian Anderson.
I would also recommend an excellent book by Ken Wiwa, Ken Saro-wiwa’s son, entitled In the Shadow of a Saint.
Finally, there is a terrific film entitled The Drilling Fields, directed by Glenn Ellis of Catma Films, that tells a more in-depth story of the Niger Delta and Ken Saro-wiwa. Some of the footage seen in Crude Impact was from Catma Films. We hope to have Glenn’s fine film available here on crudeimpact.com.