Sallie's Ashes
a documentary short
41 minutes
Sallie Smith doesn't know how to retire. The 80-year-old from Alabama admits "when I see something that's a problem, it tends to call my name... and once it's done that, I need to see it through."
When toxic coal ash threatens her beloved Mobile Bay, she recruits two fellow retirees to take on Alabama Power and the EPA. The plant's unlined ash pit holds 21 million tons of toxic waste - one breach away from disaster. As Sallie's cancer returns and time runs short, the women work to spread awareness of the urgent need to protect their community, the Bay, for the generations to come.
THE WOMEN
Meet the
Grandmothers
Sparking the
Movement
What began as a fight to protect their beloved Mobile Bay turned into a grassroots campaign for environmental justice.
Learn how a group of Alabama women transformed grief, courage, and community into the Coal Ash Action Group.
THE ISSUE
The Water They Are Working to Protect
The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is the second largest river delta in the United States, often called "America's Amazon" for its breathtaking biodiversity. This system of rivers, bayous, and wetlands feeds into Mobile Bay - a place woven into the lives of generations who grew up swimming, fishing, and raising families along its shores. Protecting these waters isn't just about ecology - it's about preserving culture, history, and the way of life that defines coastal Alabama.
The Toxic Pond on the Water's Edge
Just 25 miles upstream from Mobile, Plant Barry holds more than 21 million tons of coal ash in an unlined pit—roughly the size of 454 football fields. A single dirt dike is all that keeps this toxic sludge, laced with arsenic, mercury, and other heavy metals, from spilling into the river.
Scientists warn that a catastrophic failure would release billions of gallons of sludge, devastating the Delta, Mobile Bay, and the communities that depend on them. For locals, the coal ash pond is a ticking time bomb.
Brennan Robideaux, a filmmaker from the heart of Cajun Country. His first feature documentary, BORN TO FLY, chronicled the five-year-journey of Mondo Duplantis–from high schooler to the Olympic Champion. The film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Austin Film Festival and the Jury Award for Best Louisiana Feature at the New Orleans Film Festival. With a focus on deeply human stories, Brennan now directs Sallie’s Ashes, bringing his vision to life through the lens of environmental advocacy.
Daniel Junge is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker whose works include CHIEFS (Tribeca winner), IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA (Toronto premiere), THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY (SXSW dual-winner), and Oscar-winning SAVING FACE. Known for films that address global social issues, Junge’s work has appeared on Netflix, AMC, and major festivals worldwide. Recently, he co-directed I WAS BORN THIS WAY with Sam Pollard and served as a showrunner for the Netflix series Challenger: The Final Flight. As a professor and mentor, he’s lectured at USC, UCLA, and other institutions. Represented by CAA and based in Los Angeles, Daniel’s expertise and dedication to impactful storytelling are integral to Sallie’s Ashes.
Allison Bohl DeHart is a filmmaker known for capturing the intimacy of Southern lives. Her cinematography has won awards at the New Orleans Film Festival for short documentaries like I ALWAYS DO MY COLLARS FIRST, which explore Louisiana’s cultural heritage. Her feature documentary BENDING LINES premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Allison brings a deep appreciation of Southern storytelling to Sallie’s Ashes, capturing complex human connections and cultural resilience.
Meet the Filmmakers
Support this film and future impact screenings.
"Sallie’s Ashes was made as a labor of love, both for the people of Alabama and for a cause that matters deeply to us. Like most independent documentaries, bringing this film to life required years of work and significant personal expense. We invite you to support the film by contributing through the link below. This helps us cover essential legal and insurance costs and allows us to continue hosting free screenings across Alabama and in communities nationwide.
Your support helps keep this story in motion. Thank you for being part of it."
.png)
