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The Unforeseen

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by Phil Moore
A poetically realised documentary about the battle over Barton Springs, a natural treasure enjoyed by the residents of Austin, Texas, The Unforeseen charts the conflict (going back 30 years) between property developers and environmentalists. While the focus of the film is the Springs, it probes heavily into the notion of the American dream, and the questionable approach development and progress often has on the natural world. The film’s subtle yet poignant subtext questions the very concept of growth and its destructive consequences.

Evoking a sense of place with confidence, the film skilfully manoeuvres from the bigger picture (Barton Springs) to the key players (notorious developer Gary Bradley). From the impressive opening sweeping shot of the city of Austin, alongside filmic sequences such as the rancher walking underneath a never-ending freeway, to talking heads and motion graphics, The Unforeseen imparts an organic feel to a story where the connection between the natural world and its people is powerfully reinforced.

The film bears the indelible impression of film director Terence Malick’s aesthetic, who commissioned and co-produced the film with Robert Redford (who is interviewed in the film). Malick’s guiding hand perhaps accounts for the film’s reverential, almost spiritual, approach to the natural world. The film does ever so slightly slip into the territory of maudlin sentimentality on a couple of occasions, which smacks of the very cheesiest in American movies, but it thankfully never strays into predictable platitudes and the film is able to retain an intimate and subtle approach, making it all the more powerful.

Laura Dunn’s beautiful debut is a very human story about the environment, but its strength lies in the way it develops a strong sense of place. The film is not consumed by facts and figures, nor by a partisan agenda, making The Unforeseen a powerful meditation on the destruction of Barton Springs, not just a local issue, but something that can be recognised by a wider audience.
Dir: Laura Dunn, USA 2007, 93 mins

The Unforeseen screened as part of the Times BFI 51st London Film Festival in October 2007.

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