Offshore will be screened simultaneously Oil machine Saturday 17 June 2023 at Paintworks in Bristol.Get Cinema Climatic Tickets Now.
Offshore reveals the profound impact of industrial decline on communities, while highlighting the importance of workers’ rights in the transition to renewable energy.
This is done through footage of oil and gas workers toiling in challenging conditions to maintain oil production machinery.
Clever use of vintage and cropped shots creates a nostalgic atmosphere that evokes a sense of the calm before the approaching storm—a romantic worldview blissfully unaware of the devastating consequences of fossil fuel consumption on society.
interconnectivity
Against this backdrop, an oil worker with a distinctly Glasgow accent is reciting Rudyard Kipling’s Cone of the Storm. “It’s midnight – don’t let the stars confuse us, dawn is still far away. It’s a storm that’s long been predicted – take your time, but keep at it. Standby! Calm times alternate between bangs and bangs. Foreshadowing The storm is coming, not in the past.”
This documentary is a powerful reminder that rethinking our energy system requires a complete reassessment of the workforce behind it.
The film deftly weaves together the stories of generations of industrial workers, seamlessly depicting the interconnectedness of their experiences.
A particularly fascinating story tells of an oil worker who started his seafaring career at the age of 19. He shared the story of his grandfather, a fisherman whose once prosperous industry eventually collapsed.
The narrative is eerily similar to his own offshore experience, and highlights the Aberdeen community’s heavy dependence on the oil industry.
Violations
This documentary effectively captures the looming threats that current oil and gas workers face as they transition to renewable energy.
It demonstrates the urgent need within the energy industry to organize and plan for their future – emphasizing that mobilization usually only happens after a disaster.
One of the film’s most poignant moments is the harrowing story of Piper Alpha, a forgotten chapter in the history of the oil industry that claimed the lives of 165 workers and facilitated the unionization of the workforce.
As one oil worker aptly put it, “Piper sums up all the problems in this industry, you have a downtrodden, timid workforce who are afraid of a challenge.”
Beyond the challenges posed by harsh working conditions, the documentary exposes deep divisions within the offshore workforce. Despite being one of the county’s most vulnerable industries, workers have been described as “silent.” Non-compliance often results in exclusion from future job opportunities.
