I’m a huge movie buff. Huge. Stop by my cube and I can easily spend 30 minutes instructing you on which movies to add to your Netflix queue and why. Which is why it’s surprising, even to me, that this year was my first time attending the Sundance Film Festival.
I saw 11 films over three days, and to be honest the movies were hit and miss (it’s not like you’re able to check Metacritic for reviews ahead of time). However, one of the 11 was truly fantastic – “GASLAND”. An incredibly powerful and compelling documentary that explores the impact of natural gas extraction and the environmental consequences that can come from the quest for this “clean” energy source.
Similar to “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Food Inc,” “GASLAND” exposes viewers to a topic that might sound boring at first blush–what the heck is fracking? – and examines the hydraulic fracturing drilling process used by natural gas companies (aka “fracking”).
This process lets natural gas companies drill away with impunity, pumping toxic chemicals into the ground as they release the natural gas, chemicals which produce huge pools of toxic waste that kill cattle and vegetation, and pollute drinking water to the point that residents can literally light their tap water on fire.
We’ve seen how other films can compel people to organize and enact change, and I think this will be one of them. I hope so anyway. “GASLAND” hasn’t been bought for nationwide distribution yet, but I’m sure it will be. Word of mouth is already building. For more information, visit www.gaslandthemovie.com or become a fan on Facebook.
Jarod – I didn’t know you were at Sundace! I was there too…we should have hooked up. I slept through “Get Low” but I heard it was excellent. Also saw and enjoyed “Blue Valentine.”
Oh wait, Farrah…sorry…just noticed that you wrote the post and not Jarod. Whoops. Well…we should have hooked up too!