"Monumental: David Brower's Fight for Wild America" Film Screening (Sierra Club)

The Sierra Club of Santa Cruz presents Monumental: David Brower’s Fight for Wild America, a 2004 film by Kelly Duane. David Brower was the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club. If you’ve ever wondered what a single person can do to protect natural places, come and watch this film and be inspired!

6:30 p.m. Social
7:00 p.m. Film & discussion (The film is 80 minutes long--see trailer links below.)

This event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated.

Please arrive sustainably by walking, biking, taking the bus, or carpooling. Offer or request a ride in the comments on our MeetUp page here.

Join the Facebook event here, and invite your friends!

About the Film
Monumental is the story of a true American legend, an artist, a publisher, a filmmaker, and a zealous environmental crusader whose fiery dedication and activism inspired the modern environmental movement.

Witness the charismatic and enigmatic David Brower as he fights to preserve the American wilderness for future generations. With a playful visual aesthetic, a cool alt-country soundtrack, and hand-held wilderness footage from as far back as the 1930s, Monumental documents the golden age of American environmentalism, when Brower took the Sierra Club from a regional hiking group into a powerful, national political force.

Seen through Brower’s own eyes--he was an accomplished filmmaker--his stunning footage is included as he pushes the 1964 Wilderness Act through Congress, and then goes on to save the Grand Canyon from damming and helps create Redwoods National Park and Point Reyes National Seashore. A 1956 raft trip down Glen Canyon, before its damming, evokes the awful sadness of losing public land we’ve failed to protect.

Brower emerges as an unlikely and inspiring national hero in period footage of Brower’s early rock-climbs, done in sneakers and hemp ropes, and of his training in the 10th Mountain Division, who defeated the Nazis by mountain climbing over the high Alps.

This film was an Emmy Award Nominee, featuring music by The Beachwood Sparks, Fruit Bats, Yo La Tengo, and more.

Reviews:
“He accomplished more through the force of one man’s will than any of his breed since John Muir.” - Los Angeles Times

“An inspiring testament to the power of the individual.” - Mother Jones

“Hauntingly beautiful. Terrific music!” - Seattle Times

“Stylish and substantial. Richly cinematic!” - Seattle Times

Recommended Reading:

• Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run: A Call to Save the Earth by David Brower: http://amzn.to/1HDV1L3

• First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement by Benjamin Kline: http://amzn.to/1tqOjNX

• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: http://amzn.to/1C8A22J

• American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau by Bill McKibben: http://amzn.to/1v8bGQn

• Ecological Intelligence: Rediscovering Ourselves in Nature by Ian McCallum: http://amzn.to/1rmjJ8G

Watch trailers of the film here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWcnGIsU598

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvQZntoOfEU