On January 17, 2020, residents of South Philadelphia marched on New York City to occupy the building where the auction for the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Oil Refinery was being held. Watching these residents protesting the injustice done to their community makes for a powerful opening. On the Fenceline: A Fight for Clean Air tells the story of a group of activists fighting for their right to breathe. At only 25 minutes, this documentary packs a punch.
The oil refinery is just on the other side of the fence, its carcinogenic chemicals spilling into the air that South Philly residents breathe every day. After over 150 years of breathing in that toxic air, they've had enough. While the refinery has provided the community with hundreds of jobs, that work comes at a steep human cost. The city has the highest cancer rate of any major city in the U.S. When one of the activists points out all the families on her block who have someone battling cancer or have already lost someone to cancer, it's a sobering sight. Residents are even afraid to have family members visit from out of town in case they get ill from exposure.
When an accident leaves the refinery shut down and bankrupt, residents seize the opportunity to remove it from their community once and for all. It's impossible not to root for these tenacious residents who refuse to sit back while companies profit off their dying community. On the Fenceline is a strong, succinct piece of storytelling that forces us to grapple with the exploitation of underprivileged communities through the lens of one group's fight for survival. Their story is a compelling reminder of the power community holds and the importance of making your voice heard, even if no one wants to hear it. Highly Recommended. Aud: C, P.
Included in our list of Best Documentaries 2021.
