Company Town
A Company is Killing A Company Town. What do you do when the company you work for, and live near, is making you sick? Company Town is a groundbreaking investigative documentary that tells the story of a modern day David vs. Goliath. Following pastor David Bouie’s journey to save his town. He’s up against one of the nation’s largest paper mill and chemical plants, Georgia-Pacific, owned by billionaire brothers Charles Koch and David Koch of Koch Industries, a company neighbors worked their entire lives for making products like, Angel Soft, Brawny Paper Towels, Quilted Northern, and Dixie paper cups.
He galvanizes the town, revealing untold stories of cancer and illness. A Whistleblower bravely steps forward shedding light on Georgia-Pacific’s egregious business practices.
Interview with Director Natalie Kottke-Masocco / Co-Director: Erica Sardarian
Watch Company Town on Kanopy
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! We made this film because we were inspired by the stories and faces of Crossett - a small, hidden American town in rural Arkansas. When Natalie first visited Crossett in 2011 she was working on Robert Greenwald’s film Koch Brothers Exposed and produced a five-minute piece for his film about Crossett. Discovering there was door-to-door cancer and that 11 out of 15 homes on one street alone had cancer was terrifying and she felt a moral responsibility to tell their story and partnered with Erica.
As things started to unfold and we started to get deeper and deeper into the investigation, the community became our family. We made this film to shine a light on their fight for clean air and clean drinking water, which is a basic human right. We made this documentary to tell their story and to help fight for the justice they deserve. This is an ongoing social action campaign and it’s a movement not only for Crossett but also for all towns across the country polluted and bullied by big business.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film, because this could be your town. Your mother, father, child or friend suffering at the hands of exploitation. Koch Industries has been polluting this town for decades and nothing is being done about it. We need people like you, people who care about the issue and who care about the future of humanity to stand up and watching this film will not only inspire you, it will educate you on the government’s negligence and how much power these corporations have on the ground and how policymakers impact people’s lives across the country.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Our film illuminates the personal and universal theme of human suffering. And how resilience and hope for the future, by standing up and speaking truth to power and shining a light on the injustice, transcends suffering and transforms it into change. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” The courageous people in Crossett, Arkansas are an example of this personal and universal theme as we witness them standing up in the face of adversity fighting for environmental justice.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film has evolved in so many ways. The journey initially started in 2011 gathering research and evidence and testimony, and we filmed over the course of 4 1/2 years and were filming these stories in real time and would investigate as things were unfolding, which was constant as we were inside the investigation. So there were many times when we would get into the edit and things would change or we had more information to include. The film was finished in early 2016 and we had to go back into the cut to include Trump and the presidency and appointing Scott Pruitt as the head of the EPA.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve received positive feedback by audience members and media. LA Times called Company Town “A powerful film” and “a vital, intimate portrait.” We were featured in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Weekly, The Guardian, etc. People are shocked by what is happening in this town and they are inspired to act. There is an awakening happening in America and resistance against our government and this film and Crossett’s story reflects this awakening in America.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We went into this wanting to tell this story as investigative journalists the old school way – knocking on doors and trying to get people to speak to us. The feedback has been very positive and has inspired people to act and folks who have watched the film have been moved.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The goal is to really inspire people to act and to stand up for Crossett. To help these people in this community who are suffering day in and day out breathing in polluted air and drinking polluted water. The way to help is to text CLEANUP to 797979 and you will be prompted to take action. Subscribe on our website and stay engaged with the story and updates. https://www.companytownfilm.com/
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have a distributor, First Run Features, on board who are trying to get the film out. We’ll have a digital release of the film early 2018. Our immediate goal is to screen across the country and inspire people to act. The goal is to distribute it and have it be shown on a larger platform with a bigger reach.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
This film was made to create change in the Crossett community and to help the citizens and residents get the justice they deserve. Our goal with this film is to put pressure on the Environmental Protection agency. Right now there is a civil rights complaint filed by Tulane Environmental Law Clinic against the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for allowing Georgia-Pacific to disproportionately impact West Crossett, which is an African American neighborhood, by chemical exposure. The demand is for the EPA to investigate the West Crossett community. Our goal is to put enough pressure on the government to relocate affected citizens, modernize the technology and equipment at the plant, and enforce stricter standards for Georgia-Pacific’s operation.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What would you do if the company that was employing you and putting a paycheck in your pocket was polluting you?
Would you like to add anything else?
Crossett’s story couldn’t be more urgent or timely with the Trump administration and EPA head Scott Pruitt in charge of protecting public health. We are living in a vital moment where shining a light on injustices is critical and pressuring the people in the halls of power to act and exercise our democratic rights. Crossett represents towns across, working Americans who are exploited by business and neglected by their government. And we are calling on America to stand up for Crossett.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are individually working on independent projects.
Interview: December 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Company Town
A Company is Killing A Company Town. What do you do when the company you work for, and live near, is making you sick? Company Town is a groundbreaking investigative documentary that tells the story of a modern day David vs. Goliath. Following pastor David Bouie’s journey to save his town. He’s up against one of the nation’s largest paper mill and chemical plants, Georgia-Pacific, owned by billionaire brothers Charles Koch and David Koch of Koch Industries, a company neighbors worked their entire lives for making products like, Angel Soft, Brawny Paper Towels, Quilted Northern, and Dixie paper cups.
He galvanizes the town, revealing untold stories of cancer and illness. A Whistleblower bravely steps forward shedding light on Georgia-Pacific’s egregious business practices.
Featured in The New Yorker, this story is a rare look inside one hidden American town, where a company’s pollution and government neglect, inspires neighbors to stand up and fight for clean air and clean water. Not dissimilar to Flint, Michigan, Company Town shows how in one town, in the heart of Trump’s America, weakening the Environmental Protection Agency costs people their lives. This is a story that represents communities across the country battling illness and pollution by big business and a gutted EPA.
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Natalie Kottke-Masocco / Co-Director: Erica Sardarian
Producer: Natalie Kottke-Masocco, Erica Sardarian, Edgar Sardarian, Adam Paul Smith
Writer: Natalie Kottke-Masocco and Erica Sardarian
About the writer, director and producer:
Natalie Kottke-Masocco: (Director/Writer/Producer)
Natalie Kottke-Masocco is the Director of Company Town, which premiered theatrically in New York and Los Angeles in 2017. Her feature-length investigative documentary about environmental injustice in a small rural town in Crossett, Arkansas has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter; a film The Los Angeles Times called “a powerful… vital intimate portrait” Natalie discovered Crossett’s story in 2011 while working on Koch Brothers Exposed. The brave people in Crossett had a profound impact on her life witnessing their fight for justice and they became her friends and family. She gained access to the community, the main subjects and workers, and investigated the town’s fight for clean air and water over the course of six years. She put together a filmmaking team, raised funding through relationships, partnered with Act 4 Entertainment, a film entertainment company created to inspire social action, and received a documentary investigative journalism fellowship with The American Independent Institute in Washington, D.C. Natalie’s produced numerous documentaries for film and TV, including National Geographic, Explorer, CBS, Brave New Films, and most recently she produced a story for an Emmy-nominated series on Netflix. Natalie’s love of telling stories is aimed at shedding light on social issues.
Erica Sardarian: (Co-Director/Writer/Producer)
Erica Sardarian is the Co-Director and Producer of Company Town, a documentary about a small hidden American town in Arkansas polluted by one of the largest corporations in the country. Erica was moved by the faces and voices of Crossett and dedicated five years to telling their story. She received an investigative journalism fellowship with The American Independent Institute for her work on Company Town. The film, the Los Angeles Times calls “powerful” and “vital intimate portrait” made its theatrical debut in New York and Los Angeles. Since completing the film, Erica directed a documentary about loss, hope, and healing and produced an investigative two-hour documentary about O.J Simpson. She continues her fulfilling work and is most passionate about creating awareness and telling important, impactful stories.
Edgar Sardarian: (Producer/Editor/Cinematographer)
Edgar Sardarian was the youngest person to host, edit, and produce his own show on the Time Warner Cable network. Through his talent and tenacity, Edgar has had the opportunity to work on box office blockbusters such as Wall Street 2 for FOX Studios and Iron Man 2 for Marvel. He worked closely with Academy Award winning director, Oliver Stone, where he learned the ins and outs of movie making. He produced, shot, and edited Company Town, a film Sundance says, "can literally save lives." Edgar is passionate about bringing to light powerful important stories.
Adam Paul Smith (Producer)
Adam Paul Smith is the creator behind Act 4’s “What Can I Do?” social action campaign, focused on bridging the gap between inspired audiences and meaningful action. Adam is currently in development on multiple projects for narrative features, documentary, television, and new media. He is currently producing Company Town and most recently produced Angels In Exile, which explores homeless youth of Durban, South Africa, and is narrated by Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron.
Key cast: David Bouie, Barbara Bouie, Cheryl Slavant, Wilma Subra, Anthony Samsel
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): We have a distributor, First Run Features, and are currently trying sell the film. We are also looking for more journalists to tell this story to make some noise. We’ve been featured in The New Yorker, NYT, The Guardian, LA Times, LA Weekly, etc.
Social media handles:
Facebook: @companytownfilm
Twitter: @companytownfilm
Instagram: @companytownfilm
Other: website – www.companytownfilm.com
Funders: Partners – Act 4 Entertainment and The American Independent
Made in association with: Act 4 Entertainment and The American Independent
Where will the film screen in the next month? The film is currently playing at the Laemmle Music Hall until 12/8 - 12/14 and we plan to do a screening in DC in the next month or so.