A DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Faced with terminal lung cancer, 80-year-old Sallie Smith rallies an unlikely team of fellow Alabama grandmas to fight for the removal of a toxic coal ash pit that threatens the waters of their beloved Mobile Bay.

Sallie’s Ashes (40 min)

A DOCUMENTARY SHORT

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.”

The problem now is threatening her beloved Mobile Bay. Alabama Power’s ‘Plant Barry’ – Southern Alabama’s largest power plant – has been depositing its waste ash into an unlined pit next to the plant for decades. It’s a ticking time bomb; if the levees were to be breached, 21 million tons of toxic ash would be released into the Mobile River and Bay.

Sallie recruits fellow retirees Diane Thomas and Savan Wilson to her cause, and together they set off on a late-life crusade to try and force the plant – and the EPA – to move the ash to safer ground.

But Sallie is racing against more than one clock. The cancer she once beat has returned and metastasized. With only months to live, can she and her friends pull off one final fight for their community, the Bay, and for the generations to come?

FILM SYNOPSIS

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.

Sarah “Sallie” Smith

THE INSTIGATOR
Sallie is a passionate and relentless force who draws strength from her deep love of Mobile Bay and the Delta. Even while battling terminal cancer, she spearheads the Coal Ash Action Group with unshakable determination, inspiring others to protect the environment for future generations.
Diane Thomas

THE RESEARCHER
Diane is a thoughtful, fact-driven advocate who approaches environmental issues with precision and integrity. As the group’s fact-checker and public voice, she works tirelessly to educate others with clear, accurate information while building broad community awareness.
Savan Wilson

THE TECHIE
Savan is a tech-savvy, endlessly curious retiree who thrives on staying engaged and learning new skills. Known for her organizational mindset and ability to mobilize action plans, she quickly becomes a key leader in the bringing awareness of potential coal ash harm.

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

Meet the Filmmakers

Brennan Robideaux

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
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

PRODUCER
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

PRODUCER
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.