If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
| Score: | write a review |
| Released: | June 22, 2011 |
| Director: | Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman |
| Producer: | Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman |
| Studio: | KinoSmith |
| Cast: | |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Length: | 85 minutes |
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front Synopsis
A group of 13 radical environmentalists calling themselves the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) were infiltrated and arrested in February 2005 by U.S. Federal agents, who called them America's "number one domestic terrorism threat."
The members of the group set fires in order to put a stop to businesses they felt were destroying the environment, including lumber mills and meat packing plants, in order to send the message that corporate America was destroying the world.
This film focuses on Daniel McGowan, one of the members of ELF who is facing life plus 335 years in prison for his involvement in the arsons, despite the fact that no one was hurt or injured. It asks how terrorism is defined, and whether these freedom fighters should be branded terrorists.