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.
Talking about the advantages of having Greenpeace’s backing for the film, Camosy highlights the network’s wealth of archival footage and expertise. “Greenpeace spent a lot of time in Texas and Louisiana in the 1980s and 1990s, and you’ll see footage from that time period in ‘Gaslit,’” she says. “There were so many incredible moments of discovery. I remember when our editor, Laura Franco Velasco, found archival footage of Herbert from Mossville, someone we’d already interviewed in the present day, which showed him with the cattle he talks about losing. This kind of footage proved invaluable.”
As for getting Fonda on board, Camosy says the two have “always collaborated well,” but the relationship developed with “Gaslit.” “We spent countless hours in pre-production, poring over research and shaping the narrative through the communities we’d visit. Jane did so much research on her own and always came to meetings with new questions and ideas. Our collaboration continued on set and during the edit. I could tell how much it mattered to her that we tell this story properly and do right by the people in the film.”
“It’s pretty wild to direct an icon like Jane Fonda in my feature debut, but Jane didn’t mind,” adds the director. “For her, it’s all about the work and getting the best result. I can’t think of a better mentor.”
Asked about the level of visibility a name like Fonda’s brings to a film, Camosy says having someone of “Jane’s stature” in “Gaslit” “means a lot more people will see it than would have otherwise.” “Jane actually acknowledges this at the beginning of the film when she explains that her celebrity affords her a spotlight, and she is using it to shine a light on the people and issues in ‘Gaslit.’”
Other major names such as “Nashville” star Connie Britton and singer Maggie Rogers are featured in the film, an idea that came from Fonda herself. “They’re friends of hers, and Connie’s involvement made sense because of her history with Texas filming the ‘Friday Night Lights’ TV series and movie,” adds Camosy. “Connie loves Texas and was shocked at how it’s changed over the years. Maggie was also eager to see the region for herself and meet people like Jo Banner of Wallace, Louisiana, who’s fighting back against the oil and gas industry to protect her community.”
Camosy reiterates “climate stories are human stories” and that we are undergoing a moment when “most of us are distrustful of billion-dollar industries, especially when our health and livelihood are at stake.” “Fossil fuels are inherently connected to stories of war and to new technologies, and we’re seeing a lot of people become fed up with data centers and volatile energy costs.”
Two decades ago, Camosy spent months in London capturing the underground music scene at the English capital for what she hoped would be her first feature documentary. How does she feel presenting her long-gestating directorial debut in the city after all this time? “Quite emotional,” she says. “I’ve learned so much in these 20 years, but in many ways I feel like the same filmmaker who’s trying to document specific people in a specific place during a specific time.”
Leave a Reply