THE UNFORESEEN
Planning Ahead the Subdivision way
By MICHELLE PASTER, Daily News Managing Editor
 What do you get when you combine pristine natural waters, the
natural earth, and man-made construction materials? Since the 1970s,
environmentalists have shouted their call against subdivision builders
near the blue creek of Barton Springs in Austin, Texas. Laura Dunn's
THE UNFORESEEN chronicles the fight to prevent pollution of these
springs from nearby new construction. The film exhibits hearings
where environmentalists speak out against the development, as well
as builder Gary Bradley, cancer researcher Judah Folkman, singer and
activist Willie Nelson, and actor/environmentalist Robert Redford, who
co-executive produced with filmmaker Terrence Malick.
A debate ensues and the film's evolution required tremendous
amounts of patience and research in order to bring about this story
of man and greed versus what remains untouched. Before even
shooting, Dunn embarked on 400 pre-interviews with professionals
ranging from developers, environmentalists, ranchers, politicians and
scientists. She read a lot of books, magazines and newspaper articles
to see where she wanted to take the story. A mutual friend introduced
Dunn to Malick who was searching for a filmmaker to tell the
contrasting story of Barton Springs. Dunn worked on a treatment for
a month, and the production process began.
Dunn found her characters through "intuitive exploring." The film
highlights a farmer, Curtis Peterson, in Hutto, a small suburb outside
of Austin. Austin's mayor introduced the film team to Peterson. Dunn
explains, "For me, Curtis and the rancher Henry Brooks serve as the
visual corollary to the Wendell Berry poem that frames the film and
from which we draw our title."
One interview subject leads to another. Dunn's interview of environmental
attorney Bill Bunch, quoted Edward Abbey who said, "Growth
for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell." So the
correlation with cancer researcher, Judah Folkman, made sense. He
compliments the issue of suburb growth from his research discovery
of how cancer grows. Dunn believes, "There are, at least, direct
parallels between the way cancer grows with new blood vessels and
subdivisions grow by way of new roads, water lines and sewer lines."
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