VS. GOLIATH: Stories from the Frontlines
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Two Nights of Film, Environmental Justice & Community Action
Wednesday, August 26 & Thursday, August 27, 2026
Varsity Theatre | 123 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC
Doors Open: 6:00 PM |
What happens when ordinary people are forced to stand against some of the most powerful industries in the country?
VS. GOLIATH: Stories from the Frontlines is a special two-night documentary screening and community gathering hosted by 7 Directions of Service.
From Cancer Alley to Appalachia to Chaco Canyon, these films take us into communities confronting fossil fuel expansion, industrial pollution, pipelines, threats to sacred places, and decisions about land and water that will affect generations.
But these aren't simply stories about what communities have lost.
They're stories about people who decided to fight back.
Each evening will combine:
DOCUMENTARY FILM + FRONTLINE VOICES + COMMUNITY CONVERSATION + ACTION
Following the films, we'll hear from people connected to these struggles, environmental justice advocates, Indigenous leaders, organizers, and community members—and talk about what these national struggles mean for the environmental fights happening right here in North Carolina and Virginia.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
CANCER ALLEY + APPALACHIA
Frontline Communities, Energy, Extraction & Environmental Justice
Night One takes us to two regions confronting the consequences of fossil fuel development and industrial expansion.
We'll screen two 45-minute documentaries exploring Cancer Alley and Appalachia, followed by a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A.
These communities may be separated by hundreds of miles, but their experiences raise many of the same questions:
Who bears the cost of our energy system?
What happens when corporate interests collide with people's health, homes, land and water?
What power does a community have when it decides that enough is enough?
And what can their struggles teach us about the pipelines, energy infrastructure and environmental justice fights happening here in North Carolina?
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
CHACO CANYON
Sacred Places, Indigenous Peoples, Land & Environmental Justice
Night Two centers Indigenous experiences and the fight to protect Chaco Canyon and the surrounding cultural landscape.
We'll explore the connections among Indigenous sovereignty, sacred places, ancestral lands, cultural survival, environmental justice, and oil and gas development.
After the 45-minute documentary, we'll have an extended conversation with Indigenous and environmental justice voices, followed by audience Q&A.
This evening asks a fundamental question:
What happens when a place Indigenous peoples understand as sacred is treated simply as a resource to be extracted?
That question doesn't stop in the Southwest.
Here in North Carolina and Virginia, Indigenous communities are confronting threats to waterways, ancestral landscapes, archaeological sites, sacred places and potential burial grounds.
Different places. Different histories. But a shared responsibility to protect what cannot be replaced.
----
We don't want you to simply watch these films and go home.
Each evening will include opportunities to meet organizations, find volunteer opportunities, and support frontline communities.
Bring a friend.
Bring a neighbor.
Bring your questions.
Bring your voice.
Because when communities stand together, Goliath isn't as powerful as he looks.
Wednesday, August 26 & Thursday, August 27, 2026
Varsity Theatre | 123 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC
Doors Open: 6:00 PM |
What happens when ordinary people are forced to stand against some of the most powerful industries in the country?
VS. GOLIATH: Stories from the Frontlines is a special two-night documentary screening and community gathering hosted by 7 Directions of Service.
From Cancer Alley to Appalachia to Chaco Canyon, these films take us into communities confronting fossil fuel expansion, industrial pollution, pipelines, threats to sacred places, and decisions about land and water that will affect generations.
But these aren't simply stories about what communities have lost.
They're stories about people who decided to fight back.
Each evening will combine:
DOCUMENTARY FILM + FRONTLINE VOICES + COMMUNITY CONVERSATION + ACTION
Following the films, we'll hear from people connected to these struggles, environmental justice advocates, Indigenous leaders, organizers, and community members—and talk about what these national struggles mean for the environmental fights happening right here in North Carolina and Virginia.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
CANCER ALLEY + APPALACHIA
Frontline Communities, Energy, Extraction & Environmental Justice
Night One takes us to two regions confronting the consequences of fossil fuel development and industrial expansion.
We'll screen two 45-minute documentaries exploring Cancer Alley and Appalachia, followed by a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A.
These communities may be separated by hundreds of miles, but their experiences raise many of the same questions:
Who bears the cost of our energy system?
What happens when corporate interests collide with people's health, homes, land and water?
What power does a community have when it decides that enough is enough?
And what can their struggles teach us about the pipelines, energy infrastructure and environmental justice fights happening here in North Carolina?
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
CHACO CANYON
Sacred Places, Indigenous Peoples, Land & Environmental Justice
Night Two centers Indigenous experiences and the fight to protect Chaco Canyon and the surrounding cultural landscape.
We'll explore the connections among Indigenous sovereignty, sacred places, ancestral lands, cultural survival, environmental justice, and oil and gas development.
After the 45-minute documentary, we'll have an extended conversation with Indigenous and environmental justice voices, followed by audience Q&A.
This evening asks a fundamental question:
What happens when a place Indigenous peoples understand as sacred is treated simply as a resource to be extracted?
That question doesn't stop in the Southwest.
Here in North Carolina and Virginia, Indigenous communities are confronting threats to waterways, ancestral landscapes, archaeological sites, sacred places and potential burial grounds.
Different places. Different histories. But a shared responsibility to protect what cannot be replaced.
----
We don't want you to simply watch these films and go home.
Each evening will include opportunities to meet organizations, find volunteer opportunities, and support frontline communities.
Bring a friend.
Bring a neighbor.
Bring your questions.
Bring your voice.
Because when communities stand together, Goliath isn't as powerful as he looks.
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Where is it happening?
123 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3620, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or Publisher7 Directions of Service
