#bidder 70

[filmsandthrills-blog]

We Are All Bidder 70

Bidder 70, directed by Beth and George Gage, was an eye opening film for me. So much was going through my mind while watching it about all of the corruption in our government and what a huge problem with climate change we have, but the entire time the film kept bringing my thoughts back to the ideas of uniting and hope. The movie highlighted the fact that there are laws in place to protect businesses, banks, and corporations that profit off of destroying the environment, but when the people who are being affected speak up and do something to be heard, they can be punished even though they weren’t the ones that harmed anyone. My favorite part was when Tim DeChristopher, the man on trial, said he did it to save human lives. A lot of people don’t understand the detrimental effect oil companies can have on the environment and people’s lives. Of course everyone knows it can ruin the environment, but some people are willing to overlook that for the sake of people gaining money. However, often people will look over the fact that it can ruin people’s lives as well by destroying their drinking water and taking their land away with all of its resources. Those people are often ignored, and DeChristopher spoke up for them and gladly went to prison for their sake. It was amazing to see how many people his actions had affected and inspired hope and action in as well. The ending was heartbreaking because it just seemed like everything was futile since DeChristopher went to prison in the end, but everyone kept fighting and were willing to take a stand and join him. It gives me, and hopefully anyone hearing this story hope for the environment and hope for generations to come.

[rose-leicht-blog]

Bidding for the Future

The film Bidder 70 chronicles the story of Tim DeChristopher. In the final stages of the Bush presidency, the Bureau of Land Management hosted a controversial Oil and Gas leasing auction. DeChristopher attended the auction as Bidder 70 and bid on the land, purchasing the 22,000 acres for $1.7 million. He had non intention of drilling on the land however, and his act of Civil Disobedience landed him in prison for 2 years following many lawsuits and trials. 

This film brought light to issues in government corruption, the land was being sold at the very end of Bush’s administration, and the procedure was rushed to get done before Obama came into office. More than that though, It shed light on the problem of what is done with those charged with Civil Disobedience, After Obama came into office, the plans to auction off the land were dropped, but DeChristopher the charges were not dropped along with them. It was an interesting decision and one which still leaves me puzzled. 

In this film I enjoyed that they brought in other people to voice their opinions on issues which were brought up, like Terry Tempest Williams and Bill McKibbon, both of whom’s work I’ve read for other classes. I also like the usage of music, like that of U2 to add to the message because I think music is a powerful tool for this. If I were directing though, I would have put more effort into getting an interview from someone on the opposing side, like someone from the BLM, to get more insight into the issue. I understand it was difficult for the directors to do this, but I think it would have made the film that much better. 

[ecoaffinity]

Saw Bidder 70 last night. Just another reminder of what everyone should be fighting for: for accountability from our government, social and environmental responsibility in our businesses, and to remind the people of the real power they have to make change in the world. 

Cesar Chavez, “It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of humanity, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be human is to suffer for others.”

[ecowatchorg]

BIDDER 70 Will Stream on Netflix Starting June 3 Thanks to EcoWatch Readers

Last December EcoWatch launched a petition, Netflix, Please Stream BIDDER 70. After running the petition for only one month and getting nearly 2,000 signatures, Netflix said they would consider streaming the inspiring film.

SEE MORE:

http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/21/bidder-70-stream-netflix/

[justcreativetactics-blog]

[crudow]

Shut up and Shut down by the United States Government

In the embedded link in the title above you will find a youtube trailer  to the award winning documentary film "Bidder 70" about a man named Tim DeChristopher who participated in civil disobedience in order to protect plots of redrock land from being  bought by potential oil and gas collectors. He bidded on 14 plots of land for a total of 1.8 million dollars, which he could not pay, and was sent to prison for 21 months for doing so.

The film's call to action is split into two separate calls to action (in my point of view). In one, the film is calling out to the protection of land and nature for human's sake (as Tim DeChristopher stated (paraphrased), it is not for the polar bears or nature, it is for the people). The other call to action however is the stand against the government through civil disobedience to show that we the people care about the changes that are being made, and that we will not remain silent when one of us is sent to prison.

The film goes a step further than just reminding the audience about things we already know exist. We are aware that the government has a strong power and that civil disobedience happens everyday. The film Bidder 70 takes a specific case with a personal viewpoint on Tim DeChristopher's experience through the process of committing a crime through civil disobedience and being processed through the system because of it, even though the opposing side (the Bureau of Land Management) was found at fault by the system as well.

Tim DeChristopher is an example of how the government uses one person to silence us all. One action to keep us in the dark, in fear. They trapped Tim DeChristopher in the courtroom without any of his supporters to make him feel alone. To punish him as an example of their power of the people.

However like Tim DeChristopher said (paraphrased), he is not one lonely finger, he is a finger connected to a fist (his supporters), a fist rising up against the government's power.

Want to learn more? Check out these links!

http://www.bidder70film.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bidder70

http://www.bidder70film.com/#!take_action/c1ke2

[nmurphy69]

The Rules of Engagement

Bidder 70 is a film about a man who did not sit idly by as encroaching natural resource exploitation threatened to destroy some of America's most pristine lands.

Tim DeChristopher entered an auction and outbid all other competitors for parcels of land that were to be leased by the BLM for natural gas and oil rights. With no intention of paying for the parcels he won, Tim committed a felony in order to disrupt the auction thus safeguarding the land. While this was a noble cause and I wholly agree with his motives, the outcry from environmentalists that erupted when Tim was sentenced to prison for his crime was unreasonable. Civil disobedience is immature and childish; a thing members of modern society should abandon once they're past the terrible twos as a toddler. Resources are wasted by law enforcement who have to wrangle hippies of the streets when an effective movement could be executed through reasonable public displays, advertising, and organization.

DeChristopher was in a healthy state of mind and in full control of his actions when he decided to break the law, and as such, should not be surprised to have to pay for his crime. If an ordinary citizen were to rob a bank, it would surprise no one when they were sentenced to prison.

The law is the law, whether environmentalists agree with what the law should be or not, we as society are expected to follow these established laws. The call to action of this film was to emphasize the importance to stand up for environmental justice, however I feel it was poorly delivered as there are better ways of being an effective activist when you're not sentencing yourself to prison.

[eroderick10]

A Bidder Pill to Swallow

     Bidder 70 was a very interesting and moving documentary. The main character, Tim DeChirtopher, was a young man who happened across a protest for a land auction wherein land was being sold to oil companies for drilling. This land was also very close to national park lands. Tim simply walked past and into the auction, signed up ans sat down. After a time he decided he needed to do something to stop what was happening so he began winning parcels of land, two million dollars worth of land. He did not have the money to pay this off and what he did was a crime, but he did it to stop the oil drilling in these areas. Tim DeChristopher faced a maximum of ten years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

     The documentary followed the events leading up to Tim's trial, in this time Tim took a strong stand in environmental activism assisting in everything he could in attempts to make a difference. Furthermore, as all of this is happening in the documentary Tim refuses every offer made to him and insists that he must go to trial on his own terms. He essentially turned down all the bribes that would help the trial discourage other people from standing up against the government like he did. I felt that sent a very powerful message and I found it very touching and amazing that this man would sacrifice so much for what he believed in.

     This documentary was structured in a way that is more appealing to me. I tend to lean more towards documentaries what have one main character throughout the duration of the film. I feel that if there is a singular character who is likable and knows what they are doing the point of the documentary gets across easier. Furthermore, throughout the whole film there were short, dramatic cutaways wherein pictures would be shown or short clips of landscapes; I feel like this effect is used in many documentaries but it was done very well in this one. These cutaways where relevant to what was being discussed and they assisted with getting the point across very well. Along with these cutaways there was music, personally I feel the music that was chosen fits very well. There were many songs from a band called Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, I know this band well and it fits the circumstances very well. All in all I enjoyed this documentary, it was stylistically beautiful, it was meaningful and it was touching.