Nigeria, Slaves of the Black Gold

Hidden in the mangrove swamps of the Niger Delta, hundreds of illegal oil refineries operate under the control of armed groups. For the first time, a camera enters this forbidden world. For one month, with the help of a trafficker, we filmed life inside these dangerous “cooking spots,” where stolen crude oil is refined in primitive conditions. Men risk their lives heating barrels of stolen “Bonny Light,” while a vast smuggling network spreads across West Africa. Despite being one of the world’s top oil producers, Nigeria’s Niger Delta remains trapped in poverty, pollution, and environmental destruction. This documentary exposes the true human and ecological cost of oil.