Oil promises – how oil changed a country | DW Documentary
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Published 2020-12-03
The global economy continues to rely on oil — but the so-called ‘black gold’ is becoming scarce. If a country has oil, so we tend to believe, it has all it needs to become a wealthy country. When oil was discovered in Ghana in 2007, Ghanaians also believed that economic prosperity would soon sweep over their country. By 2010, drilling had started. Ghana was determined to do better than Nigeria, a country that exports oil, but has to import gasoline.
This documentary, shot over a period of ten years, is a case study of globalization. Filmed in a coastal region where people lived off fishing and rubber cultivation for decades, it shows the impact the oil discovery has had on their lives. Would the promises come true? Would the ‘black gold’ bring modern life and progress, paved streets, electricity and jobs even to small villages? Filmmaker Elke Sasse and journalist Andrea Stäritz spent ten years documenting the developments on Ghana’s western coast. Nigerian animator Ebele Okoye adds her personal perspective through art, as a citizen of a nation hit by the oil curse.
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All Comments (21)
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Somewhere in New York, London and Paris, Someone just bought s multimillion apartment from this oil resource. Another got a multimillion bonus. The villagers still wait on God to deliver blessings.
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Being a Nigerian myself, I remember telling a friend of mine from Ghana that the people of Ghana must learn lessons from Nigeria"s misfortune with oil but alas! 10 years on, my fears have come to pass. This is the story of Africa. Our resources are more of a curse than blessings. No thanks to inept and corrupt leaders.
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This is an amazing documentary. 10 years to shoot this! Wow. It’s really sad that we Africans haven’t opened our eyes to the fact that the people in power don’t have the people at heart. There is so much exploitation going on in Africa and it’s so saddening!
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Thank you DW for taking 5 trips over 9 years to give us this video. This is Real News and briging the real issues of the world to the forefront
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Africa doesn't need investors we need the knowledge to process these damn things ourselves!!!
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The teacher seems honest and intelligent Wish him loads of luck
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Credit to the entire team, 10 years of filming 🔥🔥
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As someone from another small village in India, i can feel the plight of them. My brothers and sisters, we will survive no matter what. I'm here for you too.
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This made me cry for real. My heart goes to the people of Ghana. DW always makes really good documentaries.
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The beaches being super white and clean in 2010 vs polluted in 2019 hurt soo much in so many ways. Great work
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I cant stop crying. The man at the end, walked away crying! That did it for me! Are our so called leaders sleeping or just blatant disrespect for human lives?!
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This documentary MUST go out to the WORLD !!!
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Just for making this documentary, you guys deserve an Award. DW and all the journalists who took part in this thank you. I wish more journalists in the world would learn from this documentary. Thank you. I am watching you from South Africa - 17 Dec 2020.
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I am immensely touched by the comments, appreciation, analysis and insights. Thank you all so much! Ebele Okoye (Omenka Ulonka) Co-director/Animator/Commentator And of course to Deutsche Welle for putting this out there for the world
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As Africans We have to Stand up and fight. Thank You DW for this amazing production
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As a Ghanaian...this documentary hit home. My heart aches for the villagers who were lied to. Im not surprised at all...sadly.🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭
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Oscar winning documentary of the decade. Hands down.
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Too exploit innocent people with hope, is the most heinous thing to do in my opinion. they were willing and able. The ways of the world. Makes one sick to the stomach.
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This documentary is really inspiring for so many reasons. It represents the endurance and patience of our African people on so many levels. It's really heartbreaking because I'm from South Africa and have personal experience of living and working in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and traveling via Accra, Ghana. I also have many friends from Ghana, who are still in contact with me, since I left WA in 2014. Thank you so much for this documentary... It literally had me stuck and praying at the same time for ways to go back to go back to Ghana and Sierra Leone, to help establish training and development for the locals, which is much needed. We need to find ways to come together and just create platforms of assistance in any way possible. All they need is a helping hand and to develop the minds of the young and the skills of the youth and elderly.
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Nobody can imagine, what these people have gone through all these years. My heart cries and I say literally my heart cries. As and Indian I can understand the pain of my fellow Ghanaians. Thanks DW for bringing out this.
