Film+Annotation+2-+The+Forest+for+the+Trees

1. Title, director and release year? “The Forest For the Trees” Bernadine Mellis 2005

2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film? This movie is based on the life, death and trial of Judi Berri, a prominent member of the EarthFirst! Environment group in the 90s. Berri and a friend were in a car when it was bombed, the FBI and other investigators claimed and arrested that Berry and friend were the terrorists that planted the bomb in their own car. The charges ended up not sticking, and there was a civil case. This movie is about the proceedings of the civil case and what it meant to the surrounding people. This also touches on the problems and issues faced by activists and who they are against. For example, the activists want the logging to stop, but they don’t want to hurt the loggers or cause harm to them, just stop the logging. · “Activists being attacked by their activism.” (Dennis Cunningham)

3. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? · Logging- portrays it as a problem to the environment and a focus of the environmentalists, but did not go into much detail · Activists/Civil Rights Groups- How they are effective in getting attention for issues and the backlash that they endure from different groups of people

4. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? · The narrator, the daughter of the lawyer is convincing since she’s so close and affected in her personal life o She was able to do personal/intimate interviews with her Dad, knew his mood and he was able to express himself to her o Moments between father/daughter (giving her money) o Showed that what was going on was an emotional and personal journey for all those involved · Talking to the loggers, that even though Judy was trying to stop them, she wasn’t against the loggers and didn’t want to hurt them o Renounced tree spiking o Berri personally called a logger and he believed that she Berri and her group did not place the spikes in the trees · Passion of the lawyers so many years after her death o Bring her ashes with them to hear the decision · The narrator reading the court proceedings o Lisa Berri (Judi Berri’s Daughter) being interrogated on the stand · When they came out of the courthouse and the lawyer signaled they won o $4.4 million · Closing remarks

5. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? · Some of the lawyer jargon, discussions over the strategy of the case · Nothing they could do about it, but not being able to see the court proceedings made the movie lose some key settings · More about EarthFirst! o History, more information on the organization and their acts · The information about the Black Panthers o It didn’t seem relevant and seemed like it took away from the story of the film

6. What additional information does this film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc.? · FBI/Government Corruption- What they have done to intervene with environmentalists and what other cases have occurred · Logging industry, as far as who to fight, not the loggers or workers, but corporations

7. What audiences does the film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems? This movie best addresses those who do not know about this event (our generation) or those who were unaware of the event and details. At the time of the situation, the news most likely skewed events depending on what news station/newspaper. This shows the other side and a cumulative historical view of the event. This will show viewers the opposition and difficulties that activists go through. This might make people more hesitant to become active in environmental issues if the idea is brought up that the FBI may try and frame these activists. It is a good movie to expose this problem; however, it may not encourage people to become activists.

8. What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film? · The lawsuit was the action that was taken by Berri and her lawyers o They wanted to show that what the FBI/investigators did was wrong and that their group and effort was not a terrorist group

9. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value? · Add more about EarthFirst! And what they try to accomplish o Talk more about their projects instead of the logging o Show what influence they had on environmental issues § Good and bad · Show more about Judi Berri’s impact in the environmental issues o Expand on her projects and endeavors § If she impacted the loggers as she did, it would be interesting to know what other areas she impacted