The Town That Was   |   Documentary
Directed by: Chris Perkel and Georgie Roland
2008  |    1h 17m   |    Centralia, USA

In 1962, a trash fire ignited a seam of anthracite coal beneath Centralia,
Pennsylvania, a once-thriving mining town of over 3,000 people. By the
mid-1980s, giant plumes of smoke and deadly carbon monoxide gases billowed
from fissures in the ground, the local highway cracked and collapsed, trees
were bleached white and petrified, as the fire continued to rage unchecked.
It wasn't until a young boy nearly died after falling into a smoldering mine
subsidence that the government was pressed into action. After estimating the
cost of extinguishing the fire at over half a billion dollars, the government instead opted to raze the town and relocate its residents.  Today, 11 die-hards remain.
Filmed over a period of four years with interviews ranging from former
residents to Congressmen, The Town That Was is an intimate portrait of John
Lokitis, the youngest remaining Centralian, and his quixotic fight to keep
alive a hometown that has literally disintegrated under his feet. His
unbowed determination and steadfast refusal to acknowledge defeat reveal a
man, a town, a region, and a way of life abandoned and forgotten.

Screening Times: Whitaker Lab Auditorium
Thursday, 7:30pm / Saturday, 9:00 pm

About the Directors:
(Chris Perkel ) After graduating from Columbia University with a dual degree in Psychology and Film Studies, Chris Perkel moved to Los Angeles to earn his MFA at the
University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television. His thesis
documentary screened at nearly a dozen international film festivals and won
the UPA innovation grant and his first screenplay (co-written with Georgie
Roland) won the Jack Oakie Writing Award and was a semi-finalist at the
prestigious Austin Heart of Film Screenplay Competition. Since graduating,
Chris has distinguished himself as an editor cutting features and shows that
have appeared on A&E, AMC, MTV and The Sundance Channel. The Town That Was
is his feature directing debut.


(Georgie Roland )  A graduate of Cornell University, Georgie Roland studied further at The London School of Economics and at the University of Southern California
Graduate Film Program. After winning awards for both writing and directing,
yet disillusioned by Hollywood, he returned to his hometown in Pennsylvania
and began working blue collar jobs. Based on his experiences, he has several
projects in development, including his first narrative feature to be set in
Northeastern PA, as well as a novel based on his 2 years of experience as
the Night Shift Supervisor in the kitchen of a Pennsylvania county prison.
He co-owns the production company, Dog Player Films, with creative partner
Chris Perkel. The Town That Was is their first documentary feature.