If a Tree Falls (2011)

Nominated for Best Documentary    This documentary explores the motives and personalities of several ELF members who were arrested for arsons committed in 1997.  I remember when "eco-terrorism" was the new buzzword.  People were just starting to really get into modern environmentalism.  At the time I didn't really give a shit and I mostly still don't.  I understand the idea and I get how certain types of people will always radicalize  any movement, no matter how peaceful its goals.  I don't agree with the ELF's training or methods since it seems to cause nothing but negative feedback and makes it harder for people with peaceful intentions to get their message heard.

The documentary focuses on the house arrest of Daniel McGowan, an ELF member who was arrested after participating in two arsons of a professor's office at the University of Oregon and a poplar farm.  Daniel doesn't deny the arson at all and his entire aim is to avoid a life sentence plus 335 years without having to testify against his fellow arsonists.  There is a lot of discussion of the semantics behind the word "terrorist" since that is what Daniel and his friends are labelled.  Their rationale is that terrorists kill people and in 1200 arsons the ELF has claimed there has been no loss of life.  You could certainly argue that if terrorism were a scale with Homeowner's Associations at 1 and Al-Qaeda at 10, the ELF would be towards the low end.  But the definition of terrorist is one who seeks to inspire terror.  If all terrorists was kill people we'd just call them murderers.

I'd say this documentary falls into the "Inform" category, not the "Persuade" category.  I didn't feel any more sympathy towards the ELF when it was over than I did when I started it, which is to say none.  Especially after it was revealed that the two burned buildings were targeted based on bad intel.  That does not inspire goodwill.