If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011) - Marshall Curry & Sam Cullman

Marshall Curry & Sam Cullman's If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front is a detailed look at the activities of the ELF, a radical environmental group that has been branded as domestic terrorists by the FBI.  The film is centered around Daniel McGowan, a member of the group, who was arrested for committing arson against two timber companies and now faces a life sentence in jail due to the justice system perceiving it as a "terrorist act".  If A Tree Falls uses McGowan's story to examine larger questions surrounding environmentalism, activism, and terrorism, capturing both sides of the argument in an intelligent and completely fair way.  David is an appropriate character to center the film around, as the narrative of his life provides insight who a member of ELF is.  David was as normal of a kid growing up as you can get, with the film capturing his transformation into more and more of an extremist right in front of our eyes,  If A Tree Falls' questions why violence and destruction is the only thing that graps people's attention, which is probably the most profound aspect of the entire film, its ability to capture how many of these members are peaceful protestors who are pushed to extremist means due to their inability to be heard.   If A Tree Falls is a fascinating and honest portrait of the ELF, exploring the 'One man's terrorism is another man's freedom fighter' concept in a profound way.  

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