A struggling farming community in Pennsylvania faces a dilemma. Should it allow an energy company to set up a fracking plant that could revive the community's fortunes but destroy its way of life? That's the premise of the recent movie Promised Land. The critics mostly yawned, but buried in the credits is an interesting detail: the movie was part-funded by Abu Dhabi Media. No doubt the company felt Promised Land would provide a good return on investment. But the film's anti-fracking message also happens to play well with the interests of its owner, the government of Abu Dhabi. Like other hydrocarbon exporters, Abu Dhabi sees the US's drive to exploit domestic gas as a threat.
展开▼
