Crew of documentary "Sweet Crude" talks about detention in Nigeria

Nothing like spending six days in a Nigerian prison to get you thinking about international human rights.

The Seattle-based documentary-film crew that was detained by Nigerian police for six days in April hosted an open discussion Monday night at the University of Washington about the importance of protecting free speech and basic human rights both at home and abroad.

Three of the four crew members, their Nigerian-American guide and three other guests spoke to roughly 200 students, professors and community members. They said they hope their experience in Nigeria will draw attention to the destructive impact of oil production in the Niger River Delta and to the more general problem of maintaining human rights both domestically and internationally.

"Prison does have a way of furthering your resolve for something you're already passionate about," said Tammi Sims, 35.

The discussion, which was moderated by KUOW radio journalist Marcie Sillman, addressed everything from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the problem of detainees held in Guantánamo Bay.

Sandy Cioffi, director of the documentary "Sweet Crude," thanked U.S. officials for helping secure the group's release in April but said the experience has made her question why every person, regardless of nationality, isn't also protected from unjust imprisonment.

She also discussed the role the next presidential administration should play in maintaining international peace through "preventive diplomacy."

"The next administration has to play catch-up with the entire planet because there has been no preventive diplomacy" since 2000, Cioffi said.

"We have to get on the front end of the education curve" to prevent human-rights abuses, she said.

The film crew included Cioffi, 46; producer Sims; and photojournalists Sean Porter, 25, and Cliff Worsham, 39. They left Seattle for Nigeria on April 5 and were arrested at gunpoint in southern Nigeria on April 12. They returned to Seattle on April 20.

Haley Edwards: 206-464-2745 or hedwards@seattletimes.com