On January 26, 2008, at 7 pm the Portland Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild will be hosting a screening a the Hollywood Theater of Bernadine Mellis's "powerful and elegant" documentary, "The Forest for the Trees."
The Forest for the Trees is an intimate, behind-the scenes look at an unlikely team of young activists and old lefties who come together to battle the U.S. government. Filmmaker Bernadine Mellis is the daughter of civil rights lawyer Dennis Cunningham, who started out his career representing the Black Panthers and the Weathermen. Ben Rosenfeld, attorney on the Judi Bari v. FBI legal team will introduce the film and take questions afterwards.
Judi Bari was an Earth First! organizer who was one of the first to place as much importance on the legacy and future of the trees as she did on timber workers' lives and families. But that strategic relationship was too much of a threat. Her car was bombed in 1990, and three hours later, she was arrested as a terrorist--charges that were later dropped. Convinced it was a ploy by the FBI to discredit her and Earth First!, Judi decided to sue. Sadly, Judi died of breast cancer before the litigation ended. She remains an inspiration to generations of activists.
Cunningham took on Judi's case and after 12 years, Judi Bari v. the FBI finally got a court date. Knowing this is one of her father's most important cases, Mellis is there at strategy meetings, at breakfast, driving to and from the court, documenting her morally driven, very tired dad. Not your typical "Take your daughter to work day," The Forest for the Trees offers access to a piece of U.S. history that everyday grows increasingly resonant.
The Hollywood Theater is located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. ADMISSION: $ 6 (benefiting the Portland Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild).
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