"One of the most extraordinary accomplishments in recent American nonfiction filmmaking." — Salon.com

"...the kind of transformative viewing experience that has made the current period a golden age for nonfiction film." — Variety

THE UNFORESEEN

May 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 // 7:30, 9:30

The American Dream of owning a house with a white picket fence goes head to head with environmental sustainability in Laura Dunn's lyrical and beautifully crafted documentary The Unforeseen.

Dunn tracks the career of Gary Bradley, a west Texan farm boy who went to Austin and became one of the largest real estate developers in the state. In the '80s, Bradley had plans to transform miles of pristine hill country into large-scale subdivisions. But the development jeopardized Barton Springs, a watering hole treasured by locals, and served as a lightning rod for mobilizing environmental activism that flourished under Governor Ann Richards. When George W. Bush took the state's executive reins, however, development patterns changed, and the water quality at Barton Springs, as well as the surrounding landscape of Austin, was irreversibly transformed.— Shari Frilot, for Sundance

The idea for a film about the causes and effects of growth on a city of Austin's fairly contained size was suggested to Dunn by Terrence Malick (who exec produces, along with Robert Redford). The film's beauty and constantly surprising visual choices, the background presence of Malick is palpably felt.

Featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Willie Nelson, the iconic Texas Governor Ann Richards, environmentalist Wendell Berry and many others, The Unforeseen is a powerful meditation on the American dream – on the destruction of the natural world as it falls victim to the cannibalizing forces of unchecked development. It is an intricate tale of personal hopes, victories and failures; and of debates over land, water and the public good.

Laura Dunn started making documentaries in response to her undergraduate experience at Yale University. Through her films The Subtext of a Yale Education (1999), Baby (1999), Green (2000), and Become the Sky (2002), Dunn examined the corporatization of higher education, environmental racism, and population growth. Her work has screened internationally at film festivals and art galleries, and she has received a Rockefeller Foundation Media Arts Fellowship, a Student Academy Award, and Yale's Trumbull Fine Arts Prize.

Screeners available

Official Site: http://theunforeseenfilm.com/blog/about/

View Trailer

Interview on PBS with director Laura Dunn

Full review in Variety

Photos at: http://www.vifc.org/fileshare/login.php

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VIFC TICKETS AND INFO

Call the Film Info Line 604.683.FILM (3456) for the latest info and listings. Tickets can be purchased in advance on-line at www.vifc.org or in person 30 minutes before showtime.

Double Bill Pricing!
The Vancity Theatre is offering double bills at a special price. At just $12 for two films ($10 for Students/Seniors and Bronze and above members), it's one of the cheapest (and still most comfy) seats in town!

Note: Double Bill pricing is not available for online sales. However, you can purchase your first ticket online at the regular price and get the double-bill price on the second ticket when you arrive at the box office. Double Bills are two consecutive films on the same day at the Vancity Theatre; rentals and Special Events are not included.

Adult tickets: $9.50 (Double Bill - $12)

Student/Senior $7.50 (Double Bill - $10)

Matinees $7.50

Bronze and above members receive a $2 discount on their tickets. (Double Bill - $10)
Silver and above members also receive a $2 discount for a guest ticket.

As a registered non-profit society, the VIFC screens films that have not always been seen by the BC Film Classification Board. Under BC law, any person wishing to see these unclassified films must belong to the VIFC Society and be 18 years or older. Valid for one year based on the date of purchase, the VIFC basic membership cost is $2.50.

Please note that membership benefits and restrictions are valid for VIFC presentations only. They are not applicable to Vancity Theatre "Rental" presentations by other organizations.

For More Membership Information go to http://www.vifc.org/membership.html.