The Unforeseen gets another week in Austin’s Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse, the greatest theater in the US (a status they had in our hearts even prior to running the movie) has kept the film for another week. Only this time they’ve moved it from the South Lamar location to the new, awesome 6th street Ritz location. Not only is this your last chance to catch the film in Austin theaters for a while, but this is your FIRST chance to drink liquor while watching the film.
Showtimes and tickets are available here.
The Unforeseen opens in Chicago Today
The Unforeseen’s Chicago premiere begins today. You can see it at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The run goes from May 2 through May 9th. Showtimes are:
- Fri., Mon., Wed. and Thu. at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm;
- Sat. at 3:15 pm, 5:15 pm., and 7:45 pm;
- Sun. at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm
A little more info is available here.
The Unforeseen returns to Vancouver
The film plays the beautiful Vancity Theater starting Friday. So if you missed it at VIFF, this is your chance to see it again.
Ticket information here.
Many more screenings added….
Just wanted to let everyone know that many new screenings have been added, including theatrical runs in San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. You can view details at our screenings page.
For Austinites out there, we’re still playing at the Alamo South Lamar (this is our 5th week!) so please spread the word.
State University of NY at New Paltz Screening…
A proposed development in New York City’s watershed has citizens very agitated. Working with the Sierra Club, they’ve arranged for a screening of The Unforeseen on Tuesday April 29th at the Coykendall Building Auditorium at SUNY New Paltz.
More information here.
The Sierra Club’s Quest to Save the Mountain
http://oracle.newpaltz.edu/article.cfm?id=3728
By Christina Musso, Contributing Writer
Five years ago, a real estate developer came to Belleayre Mountain wanting to build a private resort in the Catskill Park in the New York City watershed and the constitutionally-protected borders.
The developer is “looking to develop the private resort less then 10 miles away from the Ashokan reservoir,” said Carolyn Zolas, the head of the New York City Chapter of the Sierra Club.
The private resort would be located right next to the public skiing and hiking area. The plans for the resort include adding more ski slopes for their guests, along with a golf course. The resort would be the size of 500 football fields.
Many local people were not as excited about it, and they began to protest. A campaign called Save the Mountain was created to help fight against the development.
“This plan, if it goes ahead, will turn public preserved land into private ruin,” said Donna Flayhan, an expert on public health.
The development plan has still not been resolved, five years later. Former Governor Eliot Spitzer created a Principle of Agreement contract that was supposed to please all parties, but not all parties in the Save the Mountain campaign signed onto it.
It wasn’t until the Sierra Club found out about the development, that the Save the Mountain campaign was rejuvenated,” Flayhan said. Now the Sierra Club is going full-throttle into the campaign to make sure that this resort is not built.
The biggest concern with this development project, according to the Save the Mountain campaign, is that it could cause pollution to the naturally filtered water. “A filtration plan will cost $30 billion,” Zolas said.
“New York City water is some of the purest public drinking water left in the world, because it comes from the Catskills, created by glaciers and nature, Flayhan said. “If the land is developed, the water will be polluted, not by terrorists, but by a developer.”
If that filtration system is put into place it could be the tax payers who are going to be paying for it. In addition, since this private resort would be so big, the layout for it would cause many trees and wildlife to be killed.
“We have to be able to protect this land from overdevelopment,” Rich Schaedle, chair of the Catskill Heritage Alliance, a local conservation group. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You’re not going to get it back,” he continued. “We need to protect it for our children and grandchildren for the future.”
Because this is such a huge issue, the Sierra Club has decided to show a movie at SUNY New Paltz to gain awareness. On Tuesday, April 29 they will show “The Unforeseen,” a film by Laura Dunn, produced by Terrance Malick and Robert Redford.
“The Unforeseen” is a film about a similar situation that happened in Texas where a real estate developer clashes with activists who want to preserve a local spring and the land surrounding it. The film will be followed by a panel discussion.
Those who attend the showing will find out about the devastation in Texas and how they can help.
Philly and San Diego openings this Weekend
Landmark graciously has us both in Philadelphia at the Ritz Bourse…
photo by
Officer Snow Pea
and San Diego’s Ken Cinema.
photo by Susan Williams
Tickets for both cities can be found at this page.
The Unforeseen Plays Denver’s Starz Center
The movie starts a week long run at Denver’s Starz Filmcenter.
Image by Shiwy1
Tickets available here.
Austin City Council Proclaims “The Unforeseen” Day
Austin City Council PROCLAMATION:
Be it known that
Whereas,
“The Unforeseen” is a film which chronicles how development threatens the Edwards Aquifer, Barton Springs and the natural environment, presenting a microcosm of events across the country; and,
Whereas,
“The Unforeseen” is a film made in Austin by Austinites including: filmmaker Laura Dunn, producer Terrence Malick (along with Robert Redford who spent his childhood summers swimming in Barton Springs), cinematographer Lee Daniel and starring Texas notables Ann Richards and Willie Nelson; and,
Whereas,
“The Unforeseen” was an official selection at the Sundance, SXSW and San Francisco International Film Festivals and a winner of the prestigious 2008 Independent Spirit Award honoring indie films;
Now, Therefore,
I, Will Wynn, Mayor of the City of Austin, Texas,
do hereby proclaim APRIL 6, 2008 as “The Unforeseen” Day…….
Ok, so now the million dollar question is: Has Mayor Wynn seen the film? What about the other City Council members? Given their collective record of “upzoning” developments over the watershed and the cutting of city funds for pollution monitoring at both Barton Creek and Barton Springs, well, it all just makes me wonder….
The Unforeseen hits Seattle.
Image by jdong
The movie opens tomorrow at Seattle’s Varsity Theatre. Reviews have come in. Here’s what the Post Intelligencer had to say…
THE UNFORESEEN
Laura Dunn captures the national ecological battle in microcosm in her portrait of the effects of rapid growth in Austin, Texas, on the fragile aquifer that feeds the community. At heart, “The Unforeseen” is about the conflict between two fervently defended American values: the near sovereign right of private property that bestows an owner unrestricted right of use and the communal right to protect the environment and community values by restricting land use. Dunn has her perspective but gives voice to both sides of the issue, which boldly illustrates just how deep and passionate this conflict goes. Along the way, she reminds us that “value” should be not gauged solely in terms of individual monetary profit and loss, and that growth, while healthy for economies, can devastate the natural resources that sustain our lives. That’s the conundrum at the center of the film: The beauty of this desert flower of a West Texas city is what has spurred the growth that may just suck this aquifer dry. (Sean Axmaker)
Grade: A
At Varsity today through Thursday. 93 minutes. No rating, no objectionable language or content.
Pretty brief. Here’s what “The Stranger” had to say.
This enviro documentary about water and development in Austin, TX, is a more visually sophisticated than your average agitdoc, but after a few too many shots of burbling water and grave lines of poetry from Wendell Barry, you start to feel like a hard statistic or two wouldn’t hurt the filmmaker’s case. As it stands, The Unforeseen is a compelling portrait of interests and power–environmentalists lobbying the local government, only to see their efforts blocked by the state legislature; a shadowy lobbyist who consents only to be interviewed at table level as he constructs model warplanes; the last interview ever given by Ann Richards; the rise of George W. Bush.
Are Seattlites just brief? Anyways, they gave it their “Green Star” which is a good thing.
Seattle Weekly reprints a distilled Village Voice review by Jim Ridley (one of the nicest reviews, so we’re glad it’s in syndication!)
Post Weekend Update
Cinema Guild, our theatrical distributor, told us that The Unforeseen had the second highest PTA (Per Theater Average) in the country this weekend. Thanks Austinites!
We were just behind the new Jared Leto movie about the guy who killed John Lennon… whoo boy. And Cinema Guild’s new foreign film “Alexandra” also opened very strong at NY’s Film Forum.
We got mentions both via IndieWIRE BOT and via Salon’s Andrew O’Herir.
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About The Unforeseen
The Unforeseen, executive produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Called "the best film at the festival, hands down" by Film Comment's Gavin Smith, the film documents the struggles between development and preservation of Austin Texas.