Total Denial

Total Denial tells the engrossing story of a historic lawsuit against two Western oil companies on behalf of a group of Burmese refugees.

In 1992, the French company TOTAL and UNOCAL, then based in California, embarked on a joint venture with the Burmese military regime to build a gas pipeline. The Burmese army, hired by the companies to provide security, instead forced many in the local population into slave labor, destroyed villages, and raped and tortured dozens. The film documents these atrocities while detailing the landmark decision against the corporations, the first instance of a decision against an American corporation for human rights abuses overseas. (74 mins., video)