Mar 12: "Triple Divide" film screening with local policymakers and activists

 Fracking, With Liberty & Justice For All

       [Hey, this is the 1,000th posting on MarensList!]

Join the filmmakers Melissa Troutman and Joshua Pribanic along with a diverse expert panel for a special screening of the investigative documentary Triple Divide and a discussion about fracking.  

6:30 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) at the Bricolage Theater downtown (937 Liberty Ave, 1st floor, 15222).  Space is limited in this small theatre;  get your tickets ($15) and find more information including speaker bios here.

Catch a special screening and discussion of Triple Divide, an investigative documentary about the impacts from fracking in Pennsylvania, on March 12th, 6:30 PM at Bricolage Theater. It’s a film about the complex subject of fracking and will be shown as part of Bricolage’s Fifth Wall Series – which seeks to break down barriers between scripted storytelling and current events in an effort to create a forum for informed discussion about controversial issues.  Triple Divide has been called “a bombshell that could reverberate across the state" by Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. 

This debut documentary by journalists Joshua Pribanic and Melissa Troutman reveals how the state’s "world-class regulations” fall short in protecting people, communities, and the environment.  “We wanted to look at what impacts are occurring and how they’re being handled," says Pribanic. "If the state and industry say fracking’s under control, we wanted to see how. It’s only when we see the evidence that we can cast the stone."

“Pennsylvania has some of the best environmental laws in the country, but they aren't being enforced," says Troutman. "In addition, we’ve found during our investigation that basic freedoms which are supposed to be guaranteed to all Americans are being stripped from communities faced with fracking.” 

Academy Award-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo co-narrates the documentary, which is named after the triple continental divide in Potter County, Pennsylvania, one of four unique watersheds in North America where three major rivers begin—including the Allegheny River—and flow to separate parts of the continent.

Discussion with the filmmakers and expert panelists will be moderated by Bill Flanagan, host of “Our Region’s Business” on WPXI-TV. Panelists for discussion include attorney John Smith, who led the case that deemed key provisions of Pennsylvania’s oil and gas law Act 13 unconstitutional, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, engineer John Detwiler, who’s active in the group Marcellus Protest calling for a halt on fossil fuel extraction, and Dr. Kent Moors, director of the Energy Policy Research Group at Duquesne University. 

“We believe informed citizens are better citizens”, says Jeffrey Carpenter, artistic director at Bricolage. “With so many critical issues facing our community it's important that we create a space to ask questions and hear from thought leaders to help broaden perspectives and promote problem-solving. We believe using art as a crowbar to open the door to dialogue can make those conversations easier to begin and less intimidating to participate in."

“The boom in unconventional gas extraction has created the same debate that we see here in PA in communities around the world,” said Dr. Steven E. Sokol, President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. "On the one hand, there are proponents of fracking because of the opportunities offered by gas. On the other hand, people are concerned about the environmental and health impacts. This is both a local and a global issue."

Refreshments will be served before the screening which starts at 6:30 PM. Doors open at 6:00 PM and tickets are $15. The Fifth Wall Series is sponsored by World Affairs Council. For more information call Bricolage at 412-471-0999. For previews of the film see TripleDivideFilm.org. 

TRAILER, STILLS, AND REVIEWS (embedding codes available at links)

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