People vs. Pipeline: The Cost of Crude Oil

In early 2021, Canadian and US land defenders and organizations successfully stopped the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. From a small group of people to forming unlikely alliances and gaining global attention, the power of the people prevailed. Many of the various threats were underpinned by water security. The increasing vulnerability of watersheds to the risk of spills brought indigenous, non-indigenous and climate organization groups to fight together for a common purpose of protecting their lands from devastating environmental destruction, creating a turning point in environmental activism history. After the victory of stopping the pipeline in early 2021, the big question remains: What is to stop the project from resurrecting under a more ‘preferable’ government? How can marginalized communities ensure their opinions and legal rights aren’t disregarded with similar projects? This documentary film project will celebrate the people and efforts behind stopping Keystone XL and will serve as a reference for similar case studies to stop oil pipelines and Tar Sand developments in the near future.