Big Oil's the Boogeyman in 'Split'

Albuquerque Journal North

Decembern 4, 2009

By Phil Parker

Of the Journal

'“Split Estate” presents a heartbreaking pastiche of physical and emotional woes wrought by the centuries-old law that enables energy companies to put drilling wells on the property of private landowners, so long as the companies hold rights to the minerals under the surface (they almost always do).

Just because you own your house or ranch, essentially, that doesn't mean you can keep Big Oil and Gas from having at what's underneath. And their process of extraction is invasive.

The film is timely and concise, and Santa Fe filmmaker Debra Anderson strikes a sweet balance between educating on the issue and tugging at our tear ducts. She interviews a toxicologist and a Ph.D. environmental analyst who explain plainly why chemicals used in drilling can be like poison for nearby landowners. She interviews flabbergasted men and women who have had, at least, their land violated by lawful drilling and, at worst, their health deteriorate dramatically because of that drilling.

Environmentalists will love the film.

Bob Gallagher hates it."

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SPLIT ESTATE at Santa Fe Film Festival

Time: December 5, 2009 from 5:45pm to 7:45pm
Location: New Mexico History Museum
Street: 113 Lincoln Avenue
City/Town: SANTA FE
Website or Map: http://santafe.bside.com/20...
Phone: 505.988.7414
Event Type: film, screening
Organized By: Aaron Leventman, Bioneers


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