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"Where there once were fields and communities, only chimneys and silence remain."
___ Synopsis
The Invisible Gas: Stories of Families Affected by the Thermoelectric Plants in Porto do Açu is a short documentary that investigates the human and environmental impacts of the GNA I and GNA II thermoelectric plants on the rural communities of Mato Escuro and Água Preta, in São João da Barra (RJ).
Through testimonies from affected families and interviews with experts, the project reveals how industrial expansion and the implementation of high-voltage transmission lines have transformed local life, exposing inequalities, health risks, and the vulnerability of the territory. Combining denunciation, visual poetry, and photographic narrative, the work gives voice to those who live with the invisible effects of the industry, connecting these stories to the global struggle for climate justice.
Images from the communities of Mato Escuro and Água Preta, São João da Barra (RJ)
Pablo Vergara © 2025
___ The Project
“The Invisible Gas: Stories of Families Affected by the Thermoelectric Plants in Porto do Açu” is an audiovisual and photo-documentary project that investigates the human and environmental impacts caused by methane gas emissions from the GNA I and GNA II thermoelectric plants, located in the industrial complex of Porto do Açu, in northern Rio de Janeiro state.
From a sensitive perspective committed to social and environmental justice, the work exposes the contradictions of an energy model that, at the same time it presents itself as a symbol of development, silently advances and alters the way of life of the rural communities of Mato Escuro and Água Preta, in São João da Barra.
The project is developed by photographer and filmmaker Pablo Vergara, who has long documented the resistance of small farmers and artisanal fishers affected by the expansion of the Port of Açu, one of the largest private enterprises in Latin America. Combining documentary cinema and photographic narrative, “The Invisible Gas” gives a face and voice to the families who live under the constant smell of hydrocarbons released by the plants. These people report symptoms of intoxication, such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory difficulties, along with a growing sense of fear before an enemy that cannot be seen but can be felt in the air.
___ The Production and the Narrative
Throughout the production, the project follows the daily lives of several families impacted by the thermoelectric plant and the implementation of the high-voltage transmission line, recording their stories, experiences, and challenges. In addition to the testimonies of the communities, specialists were interviewed to contextualize the socio-environmental conflict in the region and the impacts of industrial expansion on the territory, health, and local livelihoods. The short documentary approaches what is usually invisible, sensitively showing the consequences of industrial presence and the inequalities that affect these communities.
“The Invisible Gas” proposes a direct dialogue between the local and the global. While it documents the tangible effects of gas on the families of Mato Escuro and Água Preta, the work brings these voices into the global discussion on climate change, connecting with the COP 30 agenda, which will take place in Brazil in 2025.
___ Final Reflection
With an aesthetic that blends denunciation, poetry, and listening, “The Invisible Gas” is built as a collective testimony, where each image and statement composes a narrative of resistance. The project is part of the documentary journey of Pablo Vergara, who has been recognized with international awards such as the Award of Excellence from Syracuse University (USA), 1st Place at the International Photography Awards (IPA) in the Environment category (USA), the Professional Photography Award at the International Festival of the Image (Mexico), the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA), and the World Report Award (Italy), among others.
Thus, “The Invisible Gas” is not only a denunciation but also an invitation to reflect on the collateral effects of progress and on the urgency of listening to the voices that resist, day after day, along the invisible line where rural life meets the frontiers of the global energy industry.
Technical Information
“Are we blind, or are we deaf?”
“That we do not see the absurd?”
“My cry is your voice,
or else I am very sorry,
as nature dies,
we all die together.”