Ria Salway & Claire Sullivan: FENCELINE, “Cancer Alley,” and Science Communication Through Storytelling

Jared Milrad interviews directors and Ogden Honors students at Louisiana State University, Ria Salway and Claire Sullivan, about their documentary feature film, FENCELINE, winner of our 2023 A Show For Social Change Film Festival’s Best Non-Fiction Award. 

FENCELINE sheds light on Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, an 84-mile petrochemical corridor stretching along the Mississippi River, from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The strip is characterized by high rates of cancer, which residents have connected to the excessive pollution in the area, and have tirelessly expressed their concern over. These local concerns and calls for aid have long been ignored by local and state officials, with industry leaders dismissing “Cancer Alley” as a myth. The film brings forth the expertise of several activists, scientists, and residents who live and work in the area to explain the history and reality of Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.

Ria Salway and Claire Sullivan open up to Jared Milrad about the importance of shedding light on Cancer Alley, how politics impact the environment, and overcoming the climate crisis.

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