The promotional photo for the newly Oscar-nominated documentary film, "If A Tree Falls."
T.J. Watt
PORTLAND -- Tuesday's Oscar nominations have an Oregon connection. The Academy has nominated "If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" in the best documentary category.
"If A Tree Falls" profiles Daniel McGowan – a Brooklyn-born member of an Earth Liberation Front cell based in Eugene. McGowan is serving a prison sentence related to two Oregon fire-bombings in 2001. The arsons were meant to protest logging. The film aired nationally on public television last year, and won an editing award at the Sundance Film Festival. Director, Marshall Curry, summarized the film for Sundance's "Meet the Artists."
"The spine of the movie is the verite story from the time that our main character is arrested and charged with eco-terrorism until the time he ultimately went to prison a year later," he said.
Curry's film includes interviews with law enforcement, the timber industry, and environmentalists, in a debate over whether ELF's actions constitute terrorism or not. "If A Tree Falls" is one of five best documentary feature nominees.
(This was first reported for OPB News.)
