POV‘s 24th season on PBS continues with the U.S. broadcast premiere of If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, a film lifts the veil on a radical environmental group that the FBI calls America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.”
The film airs on most PBS stations tomorrow at 10 PM. Check your local listings.
View the trailer for the documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, premiering Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, on POV.
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front explores two of America’s most pressing issues — environmentalism and terrorism — by lifting the veil on a radical environmental group the FBI calls America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.” Daniel McGowan, a former member of the Earth Liberation Front, faces life in prison for two multimillion-dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies. What turned this working-class kid from Queens into an eco-warrior? Marshall Curry (Oscar®-nominated Street Fight, POV 2005) provides a nuanced and provocative account that is part coming-of-age story, part cautionary tale and part cops-and-robbers thriller. A co-production of ITVS. Winner of Best Documentary Editing Award, 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
After watching the film, visit POV’s website for interactive features about the film:
- Watch the film on POV’s website starting Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011.
- Join us for a live chat, also on Wednesday, at 2 PM ET with filmmakers Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman, and Prof. Rik Scarce (author of “Eco-Warriors: Understanding the Radical Environmental Movement”).
- Several songs included in If a Tree Falls are by The National. We checked in with frontman Matt Bernginger to ask about his experience mixing music with film.
- Are you informed? The case against McGowan was made when another ELF decided to become an informant and tape their conversation. What do you know about the laws surrounding FBI informants? Take the informant quiz.
- The filmmakers update POV on what’s happened since the camera’s stopped rolling.
- Go behind the lens with an exclusive extended interview with the directors.
- Learn more about the environmental movement, “eco-terrorism” and the ELF, and view trial documents from McGowan’s case.
- Watch related films about environmental issues, including Butterfly, the story of Julia Hill, who climbed a 1000-year-old redwood tree in 1997 to save it from being clear cut. Ten lucky viewers will win Julia’s book, “The Legacy of Luna”!
POV’s 24th season continues Tuesday nights through September 27, concluding with a special broadcast on November 10. Keep up with the films at http://pbs.org/pov, on Twitter @povdocs or on Facebook.