True crime meets environmental documentary.
The criminality is in what’s legal
Synopsis
For over half a century, local communities in Ocean County, NJ have remained vigilant in their fight for clean water challenging one of the world’s largest chemical conglomerates. Learning quickly to navigate deceptive communication practices, community groups battled cancer, corruption, and threats to the environment.
Just when the watershed seemed to grow quiet, another battle begins. This time, the community is primed and at the helm, a remarkable non-profit.
community in action
For over 70 years one of the biggest chemical companies in the world contaminated not only the water, but also the minds of the community.
Greenwashing
“At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility.”
According to the United Nations, Greenwashing is defined as: misleading the public to believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it is.
Corporate Spin
1979-1995, NJ Department of Health statistics found a significant elevation in overall childhood cancer rates in Toms River. Levels of both leukemia and brain cancer were elevated, particularly among female children under 5 years of age.
1984, Ciba-Geigy funds the PBS series The Brain with the donor tagline… “Science serving mankind in medicine, industry, agriculture, and the home.”
This same year a section of the pipeline burst, spewing toxic chemicals downtown.
1992, Ciba pays 69 families $13.2 million but refuses to admit responsibility for the cancer cluster.
Funding
Due to the immediate nature of the story, the filmmaker jumped in with her own funds. To keep the momentum going we have embarked on the beginning phases of fundraising. Primary funding for this film will emerge from grants, fundraising events, and crowd funding.
Artistic Approach
Using the visual of a continuous pipeline, we navigate the audience through the story.
A confluence is a flowing, meeting, or gathering at one point. This informs our central artistic concept. The merging of non-profits and the public into one positive, powerful voice.
In contrast to the flow of contamination to the ocean, to the bay, to the river, to the aquifer…emanating from the plant through history.
Interview Style
Light washes over the subject, allowing their inner person to shine through.
Important Statistics
BASF Earnings (2023)
Taxpayers payment to BASF in a tax appeal (2020)
BASF agreed payment for natural resources damages
Portion of the site BASF will sell to developers
200 Acres
Influence
This project has the storytelling prowess of F is for Fake or Night and Fog infused with creative animation, graphics, and sound as seen in Names on the Cup, The Defiant Ones or Valley Uprising.
We will keep the audience engaged with pacing and editing, while also educating by simplifying complex ideas and adhering to journalistic ethics.
The archival material underpinning our story is unprecedented. 10,000 DEP documents, original Greenpeace and news coverage of the pipeline, hundreds of newspaper articles written by local journalists, as well as, photos and videos from community members make up this treasure trove.
