The nation will get its first glimpse at the true-story legal drama “Dark Waters” on Friday, November 22, but Cincinnati, and many of the cast and crew who worked on the film, enjoyed a special screening Sunday night as the movie played to a full house at the Esquire Theatre.

“Dark Waters” tells the true story of corporate defense attorney Rob Bilott, a partner at the Cincinnati law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister, who takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution. The film is shot in and around the Cincinnati area, with dozens of local cast and crew members employed during the shoot. Among those is Denise Dal Vera, who plays Sandra Tennant, the wife of the farmer who brings the pollution to Bilott’s attention

“A lot of people are getting work when a film comes through a city, and Cincinnati shines every time producers from Los Angeles come here,” Dal Vera said, “because we’re very professional, we’re very down to earth, we’re talented and we stand behind our talent.”

Bilott, who continues his work in environmental law to this day, is grateful that the story now has the potential to be seen by a wide audience. “I really can’t thank Film Cincinnati enough,” he said on the red carpet. “They did a tremendous job and were really instrumental in making sure this was done here and it was done in an incredible way.”

“Dark Waters” is the final screening for a very busy 2019 for Film Cincinnati, and Executive Director Kristen Schlotman says it’s a great way to celebrate the year. “It’s the perfect film to premiere at the end of the year,” she said, “because it’s about Cincinnati and it’s set in Cincinnati, the city looks amazing. And when you have someone like Todd Haynes who is really a wonderful director and see It through his lens, it’s something really special and I’m just so excited for the city to see this.”

“Dark Waters” will be in limited national release on November 22, with wider distribution during Thanksgiving week. See the trailer and find out more about the movie at https://www.focusfeatures.com/dark-waters and to find out more about the non-profit work that Film Cincinnati does, go to filmcincinnati.com.