History 101: Oil and the Middle East explains how oil came to be synonymous with the Middle East in the 20th century, and the geo-political maneuverings that made it happen.

If you've filled up a car with gasoline, brushed your teeth with a plastic toothbrush, worn nylon, or touched a computer, you've used oil.

We don't always think about it but almost everything we come into contact with on a daily basis is created at least in part from the black sludgy stuff.

In this brief history of Middle Eastern oil and its geopolitical and economic implications, director Dick Bower and writer Bruce Kennedy combine graphic visuals and remarkable archival footage.

The documentary explores how a handful of countries came to control the world's most coveted resource.

Additionally, how Western nations initiated and exploited that development to become reliant on this 'black gold.'

The History 101 series debuted on Netflix in the spring of 2020 with ten easily digestible episodes on topics ranging from feminism to the space race.

This episode presses a provocative question: Is oil a blessing or a curse for the countries that control it?