It is not everyone who can say Jane Fonda stars in their feature directorial debut, an honor Katie Camosy boasts in “Gaslit.” The documentary follows the iconic actor and activist as she takes a road trip through the oil and gas fields of the Southern U.S., visiting communities most affected by the air and water pollution produced by the refineries that have taken over these towns.
Speaking with Variety ahead of screening the film at the Raindance Film Festival, Camosy says the first seed of inspiration for the film came through her decade-long work with the leading environmentally-focused network Greenpeace. The director joined the organization back in 2015 as a video producer, going on to collaborate with Fonda for their “Fire Drill Friday” series. In 2022, the duo took a trip to Texas to learn about liquefied natural gas, with their findings leading Camosy to believe there was a clear story to tell about what was happening in the region.
“Gaslit” became the first feature-length film produced by Greenpeace USA, with the director praising the organization for supporting the documentary “while also not trying to dictate what it is or isn’t.” “That freedom allowed us to showcase people from all ends of the political spectrum,” she adds.
