7-9:30 p.m. at the Grand Theater, S 2nd Ave, Elizabeth, PA. Tickets are $5. Advance tickets: https://www.invisiblehandfilm.com/tickets/ You can see the trailer here. For more information, email protectelizabethtownship@gmail.com or call 412-275-0011.
INVISIBLE HAND is the latest documentary from Pribanic and Melissa Troutman, award-winning directors who’ve followed the Pennsylvania community of Grant Township on a journey to protect itself against a toxic oil and gas waste facility that threatens their water supplies. To do so, the community passed a Home Rule Charter and granted Rights of Nature to their environment with help from CELDF. They’ve since been sued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the oil and gas industry.
“This isn’t a game. We’re being threatened by a corporation with a history of permit violations, and that corporation wants to dump toxic frack wastewater into our Township,” Grant Twp. supervisor Stacy Long said during an interview for the film.
Members of Protect Elizabeth Township (PET) — who hosted a screening of INVISIBLE HAND back in January — said the film inspired their group to look into establishing a Home Rule government in Elizabeth. “Over three years of encouraging citizens to speak at government meetings and hearings only to fall on deaf ears at every pass, the public attitude now is ‘why bother, no one listens, they do whatever they want anyway,’ — Home Rule can change this, Democracy can be restored,” asserted PET board member Scott Taylor.
“Who will speak for nature? This film is about fighting for democracy, about seeing the elephant in the room before a corporation takes over your town, your water, and your backyard,” said director Joshua Pribanic.
Residents of Elizabeth are facing similar threats to that of Grant after township supervisors opened the doors to fracking projects near homes, and strong armed a recent ordinance for a natural gas power plant to be built along the Youghiogheny River. If Elizabeth Township were to enact a Home Rule Charter similar to Grant or that of Pittsburgh, one or both natural gas projects could be banned in the future.
“A Home Rule Charter will provide the people of Elizabeth Township the opportunity to bring their voice to the decision-making table and finally be heard,” said PET member Ramo Lord.
Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo is the Executive Producer of INVISIBLE HAND and encourages the public to see the film. “Mark is an advocate for the people who want clean water, clean air, and livable communities,” shared the film's writer, director, and producer Melissa Troutman. This is Ruffalo’s third film project with Troutman and Pribanic.
The film screening is being sponsored by Public Herald, Protect Elizabeth Township, and Pribanic & Pribanic. To buy your ticket for the event, you can go to: invisiblehandfilm.com/tickets.
No comments:
Post a Comment