‘Gaslit’ director issues call to action
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In her debut feature documentary, "Gaslit," director Katie Camosy puts the oil and gas industry under the microscope by examining the environmental impact that drilling has on the land itself, as well as the people who are near these sites. The Dominion Post had the opportunity to speak with Camosy about the film and her time in the Permian Basin.
Katie Camosy has been in filmmaking for a while and has made several short documentaries following the indie music scene in London, but she began working as a producer for Greenpeace a few years ago, which changed her focus. She told us, "We went on one of their ships to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We saw the pipelines and what happens with that. But it was going to the Gulf Coast, going to Texas and Louisiana. That was like nothing I’d ever seen before. So Jane Fonda and I went about four years ago to where John Beard in the film lives now. You see the beautiful Gulf Coast, but you see all of this industry, and it’s really dramatic. And I knew that we had to let people know because I don’t think folks know what it’s like down there."
Throughout "Gaslit," we meet a number of everyday activists who are trying to make changes in their communities. "It wasn’t whatever you might think of as the typical person to talk about this," Camosy told us. "I think seeing these unlikely allies all agreeing on this was powerful. They might not agree on everything, but they agree that the kind of build-out we’re doing, the kind of reinvestments into oil and gas and fossil fuel energy, is such an issue."
The film is hosted and narrated by Jane Fonda, a long-time climate activist. We asked Camosy about working with a major personality like Fonda, and she shared, "Jane is the real deal. She’s been working on climate and environmental issues for years now. So I was thrilled when she wanted to work on this project."
However, it wasn't just a matter of including Jane in the production, but how best to use her. "She wanted to make sure that she wasn’t the focus. I think of her as a host, a guide, and also kind of an audience avatar. Now, Jane does know a lot about these issues, so she’s also giving us information. But at the same time, I just love the way that she can empathize with the people in the film. The people she’s meeting are all over the political spectrum, all different kinds of backgrounds. But she has this really unique ability to listen to people and connect with them, no matter what. And that brought a lot to this film."
Though the topic of "Gaslit" is a heavy one, the film does not lean into despair. Camosy said, "If people are feeling those heavy issues, we want to get them right into action. I think action is the antidote to despair. So that’s why we have people go to the website gaslitdoc.com, and we really want to plug them in. But also think locally. You don’t have to solve the global issues, but you can look at what's going on locally, whether it’s data centers or any other kind of industry. You can look at what’s happening in your neighborhood and talk to your talk to your neighbors."
"Gaslit" is available to stream on Prime Video and for free on Kanopy (with a library card).