Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 8:
COMPANY TOWN
Directors:
Natalie Kottke-Masocco and Erica Sardarian
Premiere:
Los Angeles 2016
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, Mill Valley, Hot Springs Doc, Wild & Scenic
About:
Residents of a small Arkansas town fight back against the dangers of a nearby industrial plant.
Crossett AR, population 5500, is the site of Georgia-Pacific, one of the largest paper-products manufacturers in the country, and a subsidiary of Koch Industries. While many of Crossett’s residents are dependent on the company for their livelihood, it’s very presence may be costing them their lives. Cancer clusters and serious medical conditions abound, with allegations of toxic chemical dumping blamed, and a cover-up that shields Georgia-Pacific from accountability. The filmmakers delve into this small town public health emergency, profiling a local pastor and former plant employee, David Bouie, who himself suffers from health concerns, as he tries to bring attention to Crossett’s plight, aided by testimony from other afflicted citizens and a former Georgia-Pacific contractor turned whistleblower. Kottke-Masocco and Sardarian lay out the evidence against the company in a clear manner, but in the absence of a clear resolution for Crossett’s situation, their film is less a fully satisfying story and more of a small-scale call to action.
what (not) to doc 