OAK #419 + Info

A 400 year old oak tree is to be cut down to make way for a highway which is to lead to the next projected development, with 20,000 housing units, in the ever growing urban sprawl of Los Angeles. “Oak #419” is a documentary about the protest movement to try to save this tree, led by John Quigley who spent 71 days living on its limbs. The movement became much bigger than just this tree, drawing not only people from all over, but also receiving great media attention, which became the main tool of the protest. The tree became the “proverbial line in the sand” between nature and the voracious development of Los Angeles. Can one weigh the value of nature against real estate development? What is “progress”?

(documentary, 52 min., NTSC, color digital video)
(Grand Prix – Euroekofilmfestival – Bulgaria. Special Mentions of Jury – Green Film Festival in Seoul, Korea & Pärnu Intl Film Festival, Estonia. Screened at multiple festivals worldwide.)