Alyssa Symons-Bélanger

In the face of the environmental threat presented by the polluting tar sands industry, Pipelines, Power and Democracy reminds us that power doesn't always lie where we think it does. From the hallways of Quebec's National Assembly, where parliamentary power resides, to the campaigns waged by environmental defence groups and the big media splashes made by some activists, director Olivier D. Asselin follows the journeys of four people who adopt a variety of tactics--showing that it still possible to effect change. In documenting recent battles against pipelines in Quebec, the film appeals to our conscience as citizens during a time of great global crises.