Bidder 70, the documentary film about environmental hero Tim DeChristopher, is playing for a short time at the Quad cinema in Manhattan.
It is the only time and place this film is playing in the US. Its general distribution in the US depends on the success of its run in Manhattan, so please go see this extraordinarily inspirational film before it leaves on May 23rd!
Here's a brief synopsis:
In 2008, as President Bush tried to gift the energy and mining industries thousands of acres of pristine Utah land via a widely disputed federal auction, college student Tim DeChristopher decided to monkey-wrench the process. Bidding $1.7 million, he won 22,000 acres with no intention to pay or drill. For this astonishing (and successful) act of civil disobedience he was sent to federal prison. This film tells the story of a land activist and peaceful warrior whose patriotism and willingness to sacrifice have ignited the environmental movement.
And here is a quote from Tim DeChristopher:
“At this point of unimaginable threats on the horizon, this is what hope looks like. In these times of a morally bankrupt government that has sold out its principles, this is what patriotism looks like. With countless lives on the line, this is what love looks like, and it will only grow.”
By the way, Tim received his BA in Economics. Now he's enrolled in Harvard Divinity School. The experience of his trial showed him the importance of human beings hanging onto their consciences as a prerequisite for a just and sustainable society. In the Q & A after the screening last night where Tim was present, he explained that in the pretrial, potential jurors were asked whether they could give a verdict without the use of their conscience. They would be passed over if they said no. Chillingly, virtually all of them said yes. And the rest is history -- Tim was convicted and spent two years in federal prison. And he saved 22,000 acres of pristine wilderness.
Tim is a powerful speaker, thinker and activist and an example and inspiration to us all. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see the film about his powerful and effective act of conscience.
