At just 30 years old, Justin J. Pearson is emerging as a powerful activist in Tennessee, with his influence extending far beyond the Volunteer State. Known for his moral clarity and fearless advocacy, Pearson first drew national attention when he and two colleagues in the Tennessee House of Representatives were expelled after joining a gun control protest on the House floor. (He was later reappointed.)
The new documentary This Is Not a Drill, premiering at the Telluride Film Festival, shifts the focus to Pearson’s work in environmental justice. He co-founded an environmental advocacy group to stop a proposed oil pipeline that would have cut through Black neighborhoods in Memphis, threatening already vulnerable communities.
“Pipeline companies usually win. Communities usually get run over,” Pearson says in the film. “They think they can come here and do whatever they wish without us fighting back.”
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Oren Jacoby, the documentary also highlights two other grassroots leaders: Rosishetta Ozane, a Louisiana mother of six who transformed personal loss into political action, and Sharon Wilson, a former oil insider now using infrared cameras to reveal methane leaks across Texas.
The film underscores how climate disasters are intensifying, inspiring a new wave of leaders determined to confront the fossil fuel industry. It also reveals the unexpected support of Rockefeller descendants, who have turned against their family’s oil legacy to expose ExxonMobil’s coverups. Together, they challenge what they call Big Oil’s “Big Con”—a strategy to expand fossil fuel use while obscuring the truth.
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With intimate access, This Is Not a Drill tells a story of courage, grassroots victories, and the belief that ordinary people can confront some of the world’s most powerful industries. The film reminds us that even the smallest voices can topple giants.
Jacoby, whose credits include On Broadway and the Academy Award-nominated Sister Rose’s Passion, emphasizes the urgency: “These are scary times, but the leaders in our film show that taking action can truly make a difference.”
