The Overnighters

Description

Documentary about the North Dakota town of Williston, which has recently become a mecca for men looking for employment in the oil business. With the controversial decision to introduce fracking to North Dakota in 2008, the area has enjoyed a significant rise in employment prospects. However, with this, there has also been a huge spike in population as hundreds of people from throughout the country have come in search of work. Film-maker Jesse Moss interviews many of those who are displaced and seeking employment and gains an insight into their ambitions and backgrounds while focussing on Jay Reinke, an altruistic Lutheran pastor who has opened the doors of his church to give shelter to those in need. Reinke speaks candidly of how he believes he has become a friend and a beacon of hope to these ‘overnighters’, but is constantly scrutinised by the locals for putting unwelcome strain on their community.