Wild Coast Warriors (2024)

• political

Logline

For centuries, indigenous people have lived sustainably while resisting invaders on South Africa’s Wild Coast. In this film about a David and Goliath court-case struggle against Shell, these communities succeeded in halting oil exploration, winning ongoing protection for their ocean and culture.

Plot Summary

Wild Coast Warriors explores the fight against the establishment of oil exploration operations by the Shell corporation in the Wild Coast in an effort to prevent the irreversible destruction of the environment and surrounding communities. Centred primarily around Shell’s seismic survey mapping of the coastline, the film follows the unfolding of the case against Shell to prevent further exploration and oil rigging in the Wild Coast. Through a mix of interviews with prominent figures in the cause, as well as archives drawn from television and newspapers, the extent of the environmental, social, and economic implications are unearthed. Wild Coast Warriors goes beyond the surface of the case, exploring the interconnected rights of indigenous communities, customary law, and conservation in the face of foreign interests, corruption, and exploitation.