With billions of dollars to be gained in an industry-friendly state with a “reasonable regulation” climate, small towns like Trenton became overwhelmed by an influx of workers, and countless acres of farmland were repurposed for industrial development. “As the foundation of life and identity shifts beneath their feet, the people of Trenton are left asking what is the value of community history and what sacrifices are they willing to make to preserve a vanishing way of life,” said Lois Vossen, executive producer.
A modern-day gold rush is hitting a small town in rural North Dakota.
But instead of gold, it’s oil that’s overwhelming Trenton, population 1,000.
My Country No More, a new documentary, follows the rise and fall of the oil boom in North Dakota and paints a portrait of a rural American community in crisis.
My Country No More premieres on PBS tonight at 10, check your local listing for the airtime where you live.
Through the voices of Trenton’s residents, the film questions the long-term human consequences of short-term approaches to land use, decisions that ultimate affect all Americans, rural and urban alike.
“Although the media frenzy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline has faded, My Country No More reveals how small communities like Trenton, North Dakota are forever changed by the rise and fall of the oil boom,” said Lois Vossen, executive producer of Independent Lens.
“As the foundation of life and identity shifts beneath their feet, the people of Trenton are left asking what is the value of community history and what sacrifices are they willing to make to preserve a vanishing way of life.”
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