City of Enchantment - A Documentary Film

Lake Jackson, Texas, is a place with two distinct stories. One is a sparkling land of promise with better opportunities for all. The other is related to my father's devastating illness and death -- that’s the story I’m telling in this documentary.

Lake Jackson’s veneer is rosy: it’s the “City of Enchantment,” with winding streets named after trees and flowers. But nearby you’ll also find miles of pipelines that pump out millions of gallons of toxic chemicals each year. After my father worked in this industry for over 35 years, his longed-for retirement was reduced to a life in rapid decay. His story is sadly one of many.

This investigation exposes the relationship between toxins in our environment and disease, the tragic cost of the indiscriminate use of chemicals, and the misinformation spread by those we trust.

Now that our country’s current administration plans to slash environmental protections, our communities will have to take important water and air monitoring into our own hands, using citizen science techniques. This documentary film and web series captures this process, as well as offering inspiration and tools for other communities faced with similar challenges.