Dirty Laundry (2018)
Two cousins bike 4,200 miles to understand their grandmother's death from mesothelioma.
Where to Watch
Synopsis
Filmmakers and cousins Conor B. Lewis and Zack Johnson embark on a 4,200-mile cycling journey from Astoria, Oregon, to New York City to understand mesothelioma — the asbestos-related cancer that killed their grandmother, Iva Lewis, who was exposed to asbestos dust from washing her husband's work clothes from Shell Oil Refinery in Roxana, Illinois. They stop in Libby, Montana, and Ambler, Pennsylvania — two of the most notorious EPA Superfund sites.
Our Review
A uniquely personal and physically ambitious documentary. The cycling journey framework gives the film a narrative momentum that most asbestos documentaries lack — you follow these two young men as they process their grief through physical endurance while uncovering the scale of the crisis. The stops in Libby and Ambler ground the personal story in the broader national catastrophe. Screened at 11 film festivals.
Who Should Watch
Families affected by secondhand asbestos exposure. Younger audiences new to the asbestos issue.
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