Friday, October 10 at 7 pm Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall, SSU Admission: $5 or $4.50 over 60
An urgent, beautifully crafted examination of urban sprawl and its impact on the environment, THE UNFORESEEN is a critically-acclaimed, award-winning documentary from director Laura Dunn and executive producers Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. In the 1970s and 80s, land developer Gary Bradley worked to transform Austin, Texas' pristine hill country into lucrative residential subdivisions, making both headlines and lots of money. When residents discovered that the project threatened Barton Springs however, a much-loved naturally spring-fed swimming hole (fed by a fragile limestone aquifer), the community decided to fight back, sparking one of the nation’s earliest, and most important, environmental movements. Director Laura Dunn does not oversimplify the issue, but instead asks complex questions: What are an individual’s rights to own, develop and sell property? How much growth is good? When does public space turn into a marketplace? and Who is accountable for the repercussions of this growth? Featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Willie Nelson, the late and iconic Texas Governor Ann Richards, economist William Greider, internationally acclaimed environmentalist Wendell Berry, and many others. (2007, 93 min) Co-sponsored by the Sonoma Land Trust
* Winner, Truer Than Fiction award, Independent Spirit Awards, 2008
* World Premiere, Sundance Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, South by Southwest Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, Documentary Fortnight, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2008
* Official Selection, Planet in Focus Film Festival, 2008
“A stunningly grand and beautiful movie!” – Mark Nichol, San Francisco Chronicle
“The Unforeseen is something rare: a documentary as beautiful as it is provocative.” – John Powers, Vogue
“One of the most extraordinary accomplishments in recent American nonfiction filmmaking. A beautiful, soulful work about real estate development and sprawl... and if you think that’s impossible you haven't seen it.” – Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com
“The Unforeseen unfolds like a tragic whodunit with the Earth itself being the victim of the crime…” – Kenneth Turan, LA Times
“The most winning environmental documentary in years.” – Max Goldberg, San Francisco Bay Guardian
“A superior documentary!” – Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
“A work of art. Open your eyes to this must-see doc.” – Geoff Berkshire, Metromix LA
“Informative, inspirational, and downright poetic.” – Jack Matthews, New York Daily News
An urgent, beautifully crafted examination of urban sprawl and its impact on the environment, THE UNFORESEEN is a critically-acclaimed, award-winning documentary from director Laura Dunn and executive producers Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. In the 1970s and 80s, land developer Gary Bradley worked to transform Austin, Texas' pristine hill country into lucrative residential subdivisions, making both headlines and lots of money. When residents discovered that the project threatened Barton Springs however, a much-loved naturally spring-fed swimming hole (fed by a fragile limestone aquifer), the community decided to fight back, sparking one of the nation’s earliest, and most important, environmental movements. Director Laura Dunn does not oversimplify the issue, but instead asks complex questions: What are an individual’s rights to own, develop and sell property? How much growth is good? When does public space turn into a marketplace? and Who is accountable for the repercussions of this growth? Featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Willie Nelson, the late and iconic Texas Governor Ann Richards, economist William Greider, internationally acclaimed environmentalist Wendell Berry, and many others. (2007, 93 min)