Shelter in Place

Synopsis

A compelling portrait of a community living on the fenceline of big industry, touching on issues of civil rights, environmental pollution and their battle against corporate power.

It is the vast, sprawling complexes of oil refineries and petro-chemical plants that help make the Texan economy one of the biggest in the world.  But does the wealth come at too high a price to the local community?  Texan industries are legally permitted to release millions of tons of toxic pollutants into the air each year, plus thousands of tons more in ‘accidental’ or ‘unscheduled’ releases.  When these incidents happen, local residents are told to stay in their homes and tape up their windows and doors.  This procedure is called ‘Shelter in Place’.  Communities living on the fenceline of Texan industry are usually poor, African American and powerless to protest.  This film is an intimate portrait of a community battling against environmental pollution and corporate power.

About the director

Zed Nelson is an internationally renowned photojournalist who has won nearly every major documentary photography award.  He has researched, photographed and written features for the Observer Magazine, the Sunday Times magazine and TIME magazine, amongst others. 

Hannah Patterson writes extensively on film and documentary practice for outlets including DOX, Sight and Sound, The Guardian, Time Out Guide and The International Film Guide.  She also works as a Commisioning Editor for Kamera Books and Creative Essentials, a range of practical filmmaking guides.

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