Home / Arts and Entertainment / Grassroots Activists Confront Big Oil
Grassroots Activists Confront Big Oil
21 Apr
Summary
- Activists target Big Oil and environmental racism.
- Documentary follows three unlikely heroes in American South.
- Film highlights courage against powerful industries.
Grassroots activists are urgently confronting the impacts of Big Oil and environmental racism, as depicted in Oren Jacoby's new documentary, "This Is Not a Drill." The film centers on three individuals from the American South who are taking a stand against one of the world's most powerful industries.
Featured in the documentary are Justin Pearson, a Tennessee State Representative known for his activism; Roishetta Ozane, a mother from Louisiana who channels personal loss into political action; and Sharon Wilson, a Texan and former oil insider who uses technology to expose harmful methane leaks.
The documentary, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and will be available for free on Patagonia's YouTube page starting April 30, explores the unexpected alliances formed with descendants of Standard Oil's founder.
Director Oren Jacoby describes the activists as "investigators" who meticulously gather evidence to hold the industry accountable for harming their communities. Their organized opposition aims to slow down climate change by challenging new oil and gas infrastructure projects.
