Four nights of award-winning environmental films followed by expert panel discussions will be held March 6-9 at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Hall Reading Room at Linfield College.
“White Water, Black Gold” will be shown Wednesday, March 6. This film is an investigative documentary about a three-year journey across western Canada in search of answers about the activities of the world’s thirstiest oil industry: the Tarsands. This film offers a sober look at the untold costs to water and people associated with developing the second largest deposit of “oil” in the world.
“The Garden” will be shown Thursday, March 7. This film explores the socioeconomic barriers in American society after the devastating 1992 Los Angeles riots. One South Central community started a community garden in one of the country’s most impoverished areas. They begin to recover by growing their own food, until a bulldozer threatens to take all of this away. This film has been nominated by the Academy Awards for Best Documentary.
“Waste Land,” winner of the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, will be shown Friday, March 8. The film follows artist Vik Muniz as he travels to the world’s largest dump in Brazil. Muniz befriends a band of “catadores,” pickers of recyclable materials, and together they re-create personal images out of garbage. This film explores personal identity and the transformative influence of art as the catadores re-visualize their lives.
“Surviving Progress” will be shown Saturday, March 9. In a world run by technology, the film examines whether or not society’s progressive technological advancements are outweighing the mounting social and environmental costs. Ronald Wright, whose best seller “A Short History of Progress” inspired this film, reveals how civilizations are repeatedly destroyed by “progress traps” — alluring technologies that serve immediate needs, but ransom the future.
The Environmental Film Festival is sponsored by the Linfield Environmental Studies Program, the Yamhill Watershed Stewardship Fund and the Yamhill County Cultural Coalition. The event is free and open to the public, and donations are welcome. For more information, contact Lissa Wadewitz, professor of history and environmental studies, 503-883-2719, lwadewi@linfield.edu.
