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Libby, Montana

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Premiere Date: August 28, 2007

Synopsis

Nestled below the rugged peaks of the Northern Rockies in Montana — as iconic a representation of America's "purple mountain majesties" as one can find — lies the site of the worst case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in U.S. history. In the small town of Libby, many hundreds of people are sick or have already died from asbestos exposure.

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TAGS: asbestos, environment, libby, montana, poison, talc mines, vermiculite

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Average Review

| based on 4 reviews

Once again, the big companies get away with "murder".WR Grace would rather pay lawyers to claim it isn't their fault then just help admit the mistakes and help the people they poisoned.

by jerry saus
June 11, 2009, 11:53 PM

Mr. Saus is right, of course. As the polyvinyl chloride monomer and the lead industry (etc. etc. etc. etc.) cases also demonstrated, Big Industry gets to follow a nilhist philosophy, with the help of big gov't.

Of course, after many have died, there will then be a resurgence of interest, as is happening now. But if the past is any indication, while a resurgence of concern demonstrates some positive aspects, overall the basic structure of society - and how innocents are ground to dust (while the guilty will remain largely unscathed) - will remain the same.

by Lawrence Carroll
June 24, 2009, 1:59 AM

i just wanted too say that im very sorry for the people in libby .i work with asbestos at work on ships so i know first hand the dangers of it these are good hard working people that have lost so much my heart goes out to each and everyone at libby god bless.

by rodney .jerrell
August 25, 2009, 7:14 PM

I am appalled that the problems in places like Libby are not better documented and reported upon but instead just swept under the rug. I am a journalism student and I just want to thank the film makers for shining a light on this very scary issue.

I also want to tell the people of Libby how sorry I am. I am a fourth generation in the area where I am from and I know the feeling of homestead and belonging to a certain town and how hard it would be to leave. I won't pretend to know what you are going through, I just want to say I'm sorry.

by Merab Favorite from Palmetto, FL
October 20, 2009, 8:19 AM

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Filmmakers

Doug Hawes-Davis

Doug Hawes-Davis

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Drury Gunn Carr

Drury Gunn Carr

Our life in america is not governed by the people, it's ruled by money and political wrangling. . . To the people of Libby, Montana my heart goes out to you, I wish there was something more that I could do or say!”

— Garion, Viewer

Film Update

Critical Acclaim

Libby. . . is definitely horrific . . . The film isn’t exactly the blood-stirring anti-corporate agitprop you might expect. The directors . . . chose to structure it like a mystery.”

&mdash Mike Hale, New York Times

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