If A Tree Falls

"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" explores two pressing issues - environmentalism and terrorism - by lifting the veil on a radical environmental group the FBI calls America's "number one domestic terrorism threat." Daniel McGowan, a former member of the Earth Liberation Front, faces life in prison for two multimillion-dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies.

In this clip from 'If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,' interviews and news footage recount the story of the arsons set by the Earth Liberation Front. The ELF committed these acts of arson as a form of protest, sparking controversy within in the environmental movement as well as criticism from authorities.

In this clip from 'If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,' a former activist remembers the day that people climbed trees in order to protect them from being cut down for development. Police responded to the situation using tear gas and pepper spray, sparking outrage and the radicalization of some protesters.

Filmmaker Marshall Curry investigated the Earth Liberation Front arsons for his documentary 'If A Tree Falls.' In this exclusive interview, Curry discusses gaining the trust of his subjects, his filmmaking process, and ethical concerns for documentary filmmakers.

This clip, from 'If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,' describes how members of the ELF were able to covertly communicate and evade authorities. It describes the "book club" that trained new recruits in using books as a code source, before beginning to work with computer encryption techniques.

In this clip from 'If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,' prosecutors, defendants, family members and victims of the ELF fires debate whether their crimes should be considered terrorism.