Filmmaker Laura Dunn Addresses Audience Following Screening of "The Unforeseen"

November 13, 2009

Event: Filmmaker Laura Dunn to speak at The University of Texas at Austin following a screening of her movie "The Unforeseen," a documentary about the fight over development in the Barton Creek watershed.

When: Thursday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.

Where: The University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture, Goldsmith Hall, room 3.120

Background: Laura Dunn, director, award-winning filmmaker and alumna of the University of Texas at Austin Film Institute, will provide commentary following the screening of "The Unforeseen," her documentary on real estate development in the environmentally sensitive area, Barton Springs.

The film, co-executive-produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford (who is reported to have learned to swim at Barton Springs pool), received positive reviews from The Village Voice, Variety and Salon after being screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Using the battle in Austin as a microcosm for what communities all over the country are dealing with, Dunn explores the issues associated with residential development such as private property rights, entrepreneurship and the concept of smart growth. The film draws on archival footage and interviews with Redford, former Texas Governor Ann Richards, Willie Nelson and land developer Gary Bradley.

According to Dunn, the film is a "sort of a 30-year trajectory" given that developers and environmentalists in Austin have philosophically clashed since the early 1970s.

The screening and discussion are hosted by the Center for Sustainable Development in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. Admission is free.

For more information, contact: Amy Crossette, School of Architecture, School of Information, 512-573-1078.