Landmark environmental documentaries that helped ignite a global resistance to hydraulic fracturing—or fracking. In the first film, director Josh Fox sets off on a journey after receiving an offer to lease his family’s land in Pennsylvania for natural gas drilling. What he uncovers is shocking: flammable tap water, nosebleeds and neurological damage, dead animals, and entire towns sickened by methane and chemical contamination. The film exposed how fracking was shielded from federal environmental regulations and became a rallying cry for communities under threat. Its haunting imagery and on-the-ground testimonies made it a catalytic organizing tool across the U.S. and beyond.

Gasland Part II expands the lens, showing how methane emissions from fracking not only pollute water but significantly worsen climate change. Fox highlights the cozy relationship between the fossil fuel industry and government regulators, and he draws connections between fracking sites in the U.S. and similar operations—and resistance—in countries like Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and the UK. The films helped seed anti-fracking movements globally, with grassroots coalitions citing them as educational tools and sources of inspiration. Activists used Gasland to hold local screenings, lobby officials, and mobilize communities—from Yorkshire to the Karoo Basin—ultimately leading to bans, moratoriums, or delays in many countries.

The legacy of the Gasland films is visible in the victories they helped spark: New York State’s historic 2014 ban on fracking, growing investor and insurer pullout from gas infrastructure, and ongoing community fights to stop pipelines and drilling near homes and schools. In places like France, Ireland, and Bulgaria, national bans followed growing public pressure. Even in countries where fracking persists, such as the U.S., Canada, and parts of Latin America, the movement has significantly slowed expansion and forced greater scrutiny of its health and climate impacts.

Today, as fossil fuel companies rebrand gas as a “bridge fuel” or push for expanded export terminals, frontline communities and climate activists continue to resist—fighting new permits, exposing greenwashing, and demanding a just transition. Gasland and Gasland II remain essential viewing for understanding how ordinary people have taken on one of the most powerful industries on Earth—and built a global movement in the process.

Best for older teens and adults due to disturbing environmental damage and emotional testimony. Excellent for use in community education and environmental organizing.