About this Event
OHIO PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE 2026 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
On February 3rd, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in the village of East Palestine, Ohio, leading to the release and subsequent burning of 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. For days, a plume of black smoke hung above East Palestine, visible for miles. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate.
In the weeks that followed, the community found itself thrust into a media whirlwind with attention from press, politicians, the Environmental Protection Agency, and a visit from former president Donald Trump. Overnight, the town faced a maelstrom of uncertainty and controversy, raising questions about safety, corporate responsibility, and the economic future of an already struggling rust-belt community.
The Bulldogs picks up as the news cameras leave, and residents struggle to resume their lives in the aftermath of the derailment. A feature-length documentary spanning a single year, the film is an intimate portrait of East Palestine that captures the ebb and flow of rural America and small-town life: Friday night football games, Christmas concerts, and morel mushroom hunting season. From a chiropractor-turned-activist running for a congressional seat, to the leader of an over-60s dance exercise group, to a retired pizza shop owner and former star football player, The Bulldogs paints a rich and nuanced picture of a tight-knit community in crisis.
But as the cleanup drags on and mistrust in media and official assurances grows, tensionsbetween residents rise and a local environmental disaster becomes a political lightning rod.
DIRECTOR Q&A TO FOLLOW THE SCREENING
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Little Art Theatre, 247 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs, United States
USD 20.52
