Actor Jane Fonda has devoted much of her life to protecting the environment. Now, she has a new project that takes on the fossil fuel industry.
The documentary Gaslit is a road trip through Texas and the Gulf Coast that shows how communities are being impacted by fossil fuel facilities. It's making its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Fonda admitted it was difficult to see what some people are experiencing.
"It is hard, especially when I was there on the ground, meeting the people whose lives have been so affected by the presence of methane gas, fossil gas, fracking, and plastic manufacturing plants," said Fonda. "They (the industries) just don't care."
She teamed up with filmmaker Katie Camosy for the documentary. It was produced by the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace USA.
"I've been working with Greenpeace for about a decade now," said Camosy.
"I've been meeting people across the country who are facing problems with polluting industries with climate change impacts, including Texas and Louisiana, where the film is centered. I was collecting their stories, and I did some of that with Jane. We were working together on some social media videos, and as we kept meeting people, it really struck me that we had a film, it wasn't just a video, it wasn't just one story."
Gaslit explains and explores the impacts of fossil fuel production, including pollution from underground fracking and the release of methane gas, a significant contributor to climate change.
The film takes viewers to hotspots where fossil fuel facilities are polluting the air, water, and soil.
Fonda admitted she's heartbroken that people are fighting issues like this, given what we know today about the dangers of fossil fuels.
"We live in a soup of chemicals," said Fonda. "So many things, along with cancer, are on the rise because we live with chemicals, which are from fossil fuels. And, the burning of fossil fuels is at the root of the climate crisis. All these things are affecting health."
Fonda added that it’s fitting that a film examining oil and gas production and the dangers of fossil fuels is making its world premiere at SBIFF, given the ongoing battles over oil projects in Santa Barbara County.
She’s been a part of efforts to stop an oil company’s efforts to restart the oil pipeline, which ruptured on the Gaviota Coast in 2015, causing a 140,000-gallon oil spill.
"Julia Louis-Dreyfus and I have been fighting along with the wonderful Linda Krop (with Santa Barbara's Environmental Defense Center) to stop Sable from becoming active again," said Fonda. "Sable's pipeline is the one that 15 years ago burst, and we've been fighting to keep it from coming back online. It's inconceivable that they could do this. And, not only are they doing it, but the federal government stepped into an issue that is local."
A federal agency gave its clearance for the pipeline to resume operations, sidestepping the state, after Sable's efforts to get restart permission from the State Fire Marshal's Office stalled.
Camosy discussed what they hope people will learn from the new documentary.
"I hope there's going to be some righteous indignation and a little frustration, that fires them up to learn more about how to do something. On our website, we take all these people who are in the film, break them out, and show more about their work. I also really hope people look at their own neighborhoods, because even though it's happening in Texas and Louisiana at a different level, we're all dealing with polluting industries."
Gaslit made its world premiere at the SBIFF’s Riviera Theater on Thursday afternoon. It will screen again on Sunday and Tuesday mornings at the film festival’s McHurley Film Center in downtown Santa Barbara.
