Carving Up Oconee: A Rural County Fights for its Future

An inspiring account of grassroots activism in small-town America that shows how average citizens, confronted with the pressure for development, can join together and effectively combat the forces that threaten to change their lives and the landscape they love. The film follows local citizens as they take steps to engage their neighbors and devise strategies to take their cause from kitchen table to county commission and achieve a real difference in public policy. Carving Up Oconee tells the story of this citizens' movement through interviews conducted over a three-year period. Local residents, town and county government officials, and members of the development industry have their say so the viewer can gain a full picture of what's at stake for all sides. In closely tracking the actions of ordinary citizens-turned-activists from their first meetings through the end of their fight to stop a giant truck stop in a farming area, the film gives us a model for how American citizens can participate effectively in the development debate and even play a major role in shaping the future of their communities. Written, directed, and produced by Celestea Sharp.