With all the grim news in the world these days, and I’m not even including pathological prevaricator George Santos still being a member of Congress, I’m pleased to write about a cause that is uplifting. The Ethos Film Festival runs from November 10 through November 17 at different venues in Santa Monica
Actually I’ve been an environmentalist since the very first Earth Day at UCLA in 1970. (Which makes me so old I hope I finish this before I need a nap.)
Over the years, however, I confess I’ve gotten progressively lazier in my environmentalism activity. Thankfully I’m friends with Sheila Laffey, Ph.D, an eco film director and producer, who teaches at SMC, a Nature Therapy Guide and works with FacingFuture.TV. (Clearly Sheila doesn’t have "lazy" in her vocabulary.)
I’ve reviewed numerous films Sheila has shown her classes. For example, The River and the Wall is a fascinating documentary that follows five friends on a rugged 1200 mile journey along the magnificent Rio Grande River that would have been severely impacted by Trump’s wall. I also reviewed On Sacred Ground, a film about the 2016 construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the flagrant injustices inflicted on native Americans.
Sheila’s The Last Stand series chronicles the struggles to save the Ballona Wetlands. The 2004 short is featured in the Ethos Film Festival as a Finalist. The series was co-directed with Todd Brunelle and includes footage by Bruce Robertson and Josh Bleibtreu. It’s narrated by the late Ed Asner with the music of Joni Mitchell, Kenny Loggins, Joe Walsh and native American musicians Sara Thomson and Gary Lemos. (All three films in the series won awards and aired on PBS stations.)
The battle lines were drawn. Developers were determined to build a massive development, Playa Vista, but the environmentalists were determined to preserve the Wetlands.
The film is uplifting because of the beauty of the Wetlands and its precious wildlife and is also entertaining with scenes from the play FrogWorks. There’s even humor from some of the environmentalists, including actor/activist Ed Begley Jr. (Begley just released his memoir To the Temple of Tranquility...And Step On It!) Also in a humorous vein, Martin Sheen turned prankster during one of the protests padlocks the Playa Vista office door.
Just when it appeared that developer money would win out, Tom Hayden, the late legislator in California, helped promote Proposition 12 which was approved by voters to acquired 600 acres of the Ballona Wetlands. (It turns out that this year is the 20th anniversary of this wonderful and much needed protection.)
Usually serious, Hayden in his speech said, "The developers kept asking ‘Where’s the money?’ Smiling, like out of the movie Jerry Maguire, he announced "Well here it is!" When Begley and State Controller Kathleen Connell joyfully removed the developer’s fence it was ever so sweet.
Why are the Wetlands so important? One reason is because California has lost over 95% of our Wetlands. Dr Joy Zedler, a foremost wetlands scientist describes it best: "Appreciation of open space, filtering materials moving from the watershed into the ocean, shore line anchoring so there is less erosion, and support of bio-diversity, especially the native species that live in our coastal wetlands and can live nowhere else."
The film also shows beautiful images of plants, animal and marine life, including eye opening footage of fish that spawn in the wetlands. There is a false dichotomy between the environment and jobs. Also shown in the film are jobs and figures on revenue from fishing.
Given continued controversies about restoration at the Wetlands the festival screening couldn’t come at a better time for folks to pay attention to ongoing issues. For example, in May, the L.A. Superior Court put a halt to restoration plans by CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) until it submits a new environmental review. The Court said CDFW did not use proper flood risk standards.
Citizens can join efforts with groups that are working to compel CDFW to protect the wetlands and the wildlife. Another concern is So Cal Gas injecting methane into a field beneath the ecological reserve.
So head on down to Laemmle Theater Nov. 13, 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. for the block of short films that includes surfing, coral reefs, other water topics and The Last Stand: Heroes at Ballona Wetlands all of which will be followed by Q & A with Begley, Laffey and other filmmakers, Wetland advocates, Susan Suntree, author of FrogWorks, and artist Mary Wright
$10 tickets are available online at eventbrite.com and filmfreeway.com. Laemmle Monica is at 1332 2nd Street. Lastly, for George Santos fans, assuming there are any in Santa Monica, I hope my suggesting he’s a flawed fabricator won’t interfere with your concerns about our precious Ballona Wetlands and its preservation.
Jack Neworth for the Santa Monica Daily Press
