PIPE NATION, 52min., Drama, Canada
Directed by Raoul Bhatt
A small oil and gas community come together as they navigate a changing industry.
Hardwell is a fictional town near the border of two provinces at odds with each other. Meanwhile, the camp Ashley and Ty work at is called Kilometer 72. They have just crossed over into an area whose energy values don’t align with their own and run into protests and antipathy.
A single, debt-ridden mother is propelled into a job as a foreman in the high-stakes business of pipelining worth hundreds of millions of dollars at a remote camp near the small town of Hardwell.
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As tensions grow between workers and neighbouring communities, strange outside influences increase in frequency from the cold, heartless suits in the corporate office and the local motorcycle club. They pay close attention to their energy sector investments. It’s a culture clash between big oil’s corporate greed and blue-collar grit; pipeline projects are pushed to get done faster and at any cost, and the ones that get done early, profits get split with the clients. Ashley is challenged to protect the industry, test the limits of her team of men, and protect her only source of income.
Ashley’s trying to support her family doing the only job her family’s done for three generations, but is challenged and grows conflicted because her indigenous roots don’t align with the business of big oil.
Forming an unlikely bond with a member of her crew who struggles with addiction, Ashley and Ty help one another navigate hostile and sexist working conditions and the complexities of an industry in transition.
Pipe Nation is a fictional analysis of the historical, political and economic significance of pipelines. It works to illuminate the unique relationships between individual citizens, new energy and traditional energy, and the webs of steel that lie below.
Project Links
News & Reviews
- “Sundre-filmed Pipe Nation officially finished”Mountain View Todayhttps://www.mountainviewtoday.ca/sundre-news/sundre-filmed-pipe-nation-pilot-officially-finished-4851866
- “Alberta-based oil worker TV series ‘Pipe Nation’ wraps up production of pilot episode”Global Newshttps://globalnews.ca/news/7725228/alberta-tv-series-pipe-nation/
- “‘Pipe Nation’ TV pilot casts Alberta oil and gas workers to show true grit of industry”CTV Newshttps://calgary.ctvnews.ca/pipe-nation-tv-pilot-casts-alberta-oil-and-gas-workers-to-show-true-grit-of-industry-1.5069365
- “ALBERTAAlberta production Pipe Nation seeking to tap musical talent for soundtrack”Todayvillehttps://www.todayville.com/edmonton/alberta-production-pipe-nation-seeking-to-tap-musical-talent-for-soundtrack/
- “Hundreds turn out for casting call in Sundre for pilot of proposed TV series Pipe Nation”CBChttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sundre-alberta-pipe-nation-1.5641317
- “COVID-19 supervisors on the challenges of trying to keep Canadian film and TV sets safe”CTVhttps://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/covid-19-supervisors-on-the-challenges-of-trying-to-keep-canadian-film-and-tv-sets-safe-1.5301303
- “Cape Breton oilfield worker to play “himself” in pipeline pilot”Saltwirehttps://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/news/cape-breton-oilfield-worker-to-play-himself-in-pipeline-pilot-481331/
- “Series on pipeline industry set to begin filming in Sundre, Alta.”CTV Calgaryhttps://calgary.ctvnews.ca/series-on-pipeline-industry-set-to-begin-filmi
Director Biography – Raoul Bhatt
Raoul Bhatt is a Canadian writer and cinematographer,
who’s known for his projects with NHL, Super Bowl, as
well as directing the Daytime Emmys. An accomplished
entrepeneur and lifelong Albertan, Raoul has spent his
professional career striving to be the best in whatever
industry he chooses, from tech, to software development,
to filmmaking.
Los Angeles feedback film festival 
