Butterfly (2001)

Synopsis: The provocative documentary BUTTERFLY tracks the struggles and epiphanies of a young woman living near the top of a towering redwood to protest environmentally damaging logging practices. Julia "Butterfly" Hill, heeding the call of an... The provocative documentary BUTTERFLY tracks the struggles and epiphanies of a young woman living near the top of a towering redwood to protest environmentally damaging logging practices. Julia "Butterfly" Hill, heeding the call of an inner voice, scales the tree in 1997 and does not touch earth again for two years, in the interim experiencing a profound spiritual awakening while drawing both impassioned support and heated criticism. Director Doug Wolens collects and deftly interweaves a vast chorus of voices for this affecting portrait. Lofty opinions about Julia's protest are offered by fervent young members of the environmentalist group Earth First and by appreciative forest residents who have witnessed the decline of their forests throughout their lives. But these supportive viewpoints are mitigated by those of the dissenting logging company officials and of locals dependent upon the logging industry for their income. Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead and folk singer Peter Yarrow help place Julia's story in the context of an enduring counterculture, and Ani Difranco can be heard on the soundtrack. Wolens's moving camera shots of the beautiful yet scarred northern California forest compliment Julia's oracular accounts to give the earth itself the film's most moving and resonant voice, making BUTTERFLY an urgent and numinous New Age folktale. [More]

Starring: Julia Butterfly Hill, Peter Yarrow

Starring: Julia Butterfly Hill, Peter Yarrow

Director: Doug Wolens

Director: Doug Wolens
Composer: Mickey Hart
Producer: Doug Wolens

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