The nomination for the Goya Awards of the documentary short ‘Zona Wao’ has placed Repsol in the spotlight for its extractive activity in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The work, promoted by the Basque production company El Santo Films and partly financed with Basque public support, traces a critical portrait of oil exploitation in one of the world’s most biodiverse territories.
The documentary, directed by filmmaker Nagore Eceiza, builds a 25-minute immersion into the daily life of the Waorani community, an indigenous people living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Far from opting for an exhaustive geopolitical analysis, the director centers the gaze on the human and environmental impact of the oil industry: river contamination, health effects, transformation of the territory, and unfulfilled promises to the local population.
The result is an extraordinary piece that combines environmental advocacy, collective memory and a call for social justice. The film maintains that the expansion of extractive infrastructures has turned large areas of the jungle into what it calls ‘sacrifice zones’, spaces where industrial development has prevailed over the rights of indigenous communities.
In that context, it describes how oil activity would have contributed to the spread of diseases and the degradation of the ecosystems on which the communities depend for their subsistence. The narrative relies exclusively on Waorani testimonies, reinforcing its character as a denunciation from within.
The premiere on the Filmin platform has broadened the reach of the work, which has been well received by cinephile audiences and has begun a notable international circuit. Before its nomination for the Goyas, ‘Zona Wao’ was a finalist at the Fugaz Awards and has accumulated a dozen recognitions at festivals in Italy, France and the Czech Republic, establishing itself as a reference in the field of contemporary social documentary.
The controversy is not limited to the cinematic sphere. The fact that the project had the backing of the Basque Government and the collaboration of organizations such as Medicus Mundi adds an additional political dimension, placing under scrutiny one of the major multinationals rooted in the Basque Country.
EXTRACTIVISM IN COUNTRIES WITH FRAGILE ECONOMIES
The giant led by Josu Jon Imaz exploited oil blocks in the Ecuadorian Amazon for years, in a context where various international companies participated in crude extraction with the authorization of the government of the Andean country. The documentary is part of a global debate on extractivism and the energy transition.
At a time when large sector companies seek to project an image of commitment to decarbonization and sustainability, looking back at territories like the Amazon reopens uncomfortable questions. The tension between economic development, state sovereignty, Indigenous rights and environmental protection runs through the entire film’s narrative.
The Goya nomination amplifies that debate at the national level. It is not common for a production aimed directly at the historical actions of a Spanish multinational to achieve such visibility in the main showcase of national cinema. The media echo places Repsol before a reputational challenge, especially due to the territorial and political connections embodied by its president.
PROBLEMS FOR REPSOL ON SEVERAL FRONTS OPEN
The image of Repsol is not at its best moment. Its plans to collaborate with the Donald Trump administration to cash in on Venezuela have drawn criticism.
At the same time, a key subsidiary of Repsol such as Petronor has been the subject of recent environmental controversies following incidents at its Muskiz refinery (Vizcaya), where benzene particles have been detected in the air.
