Irish Premier of Unearthed

World Premiered at Sheffield in June 2014, winning the Green Award at Doc/Fest.

Winner of Best South African film at Encounters International Film Festival.

Unearthed, an independent South African feature documentary, investigates fracking in the
United States – the technology’s place of origin – in order to understand what this new method of gas extraction could mean for the semi-arid Karoo and other countries who are considering its implementation. The film covers the extensive journey that Karoo born director, Jolynn Minnaar, took – 18 months of research; over 400 interviews; travelling across South Africa, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom; battling gag orders and no trespassing zones; losing cameras to extreme heat and subzero temperatures and suffering first hand chemical exposure from drilling sites – to get to the bottom of the controversial topic.

When Jolynn Minnaar first heard about the fracking in the Karoo, her home district, she was optimistic. Companies seeking to drill in this semi-arid area of South Africa promised that the new process of gas extraction was a safe, time-tested one; a practice that would bring widespread prosperity for the poor, rural Karoo communities. But after stumbling across a rumoured case of water contamination in Pennsylvania, Jolynn is drawn into an investigation which takes her across the United States – the home of the fracking technology – in search of answers. Her discoveries leave her horrified. As the South African government lifts the moratorium on fracking, the race against time begins to share
her findings with the residents of the Karoo – before it’s too late.

Director: Jollynn Minnaar
Country: South Africa
Film Length: 90 minutes
Year of release: 2014

For more information see:
http://www.un-earthed.com/synopsis/