In “Big Men,” a new film executive produced by Brad Pitt and directed by Rachel Boynton, the tensions surrounding a potentially rich plot of oil in Ghana is examined. Focusing on the dealings of small Dallas-based oil company Kosmos Energy, the film delves deep in to the backroom deals, political machinations, and dangers surrounding the oil industry in the West African nation.
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From 2007 to 2011, Boynton and her small two-man crew shadow Kosmos Energy and visit both Nigeria and Ghana to look at how oil production has affected the countries individually. Geographically close, the divide seems to be put into perspective through the lens of Kosmos Energy’s CEO Jim Musselman who is hoping to mine oil by way of his political connections to Ghana.
But Musselman’s desire to win and profit is challenged by the Deadly Underdogs, a Niger Delta street gang who want to see a share of the billions of profit that will surely come to the region. Although Kosmos Energy was worth $6 billion at one point, which pales vastly in comparison to ExxonMobil, those numbers set off a free-for-all of chatter among Ghanaians.
Watch the trailer for “Big Men” here:
“Big Men” is currently making a limited screening run in small indie movie houses across the United States. There has not been an announcement when the film will be available for global distribution.
Learn more about the “Big Men” documentary here.
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