From the moment David Brower first witnessed the extraordinary beauty of the Yosemite Valley, his life was tied to the fight to preserve the American wilds for future generations. Not since John Muir had an American fought so hard, or been more successful, in protecting our natural heritage. His fiery dedication and activism helped inspire the modern day environmental movement.
Explored in Monumental is the beautiful, dramatic, and lyrical story of Brower and his colleagues' unrelenting campaigns - fought through lobbying, art, and hard hitting advertising- to protect and establish some of our most treasured national parks. At the center of the film are the themes that absorbed Brower throughout his life: the threatened beauty of the American earth, the spiritual connection between humans and the great outdoors, and the moral obligation to preserve what is left of the world's natural wonders.
With contemporary music and stylistic editing Monumental weaves together exquisite 16-mm archival footage (much shot by Brower himself), photographic images from well-recognized artists, and interviews with leading conservationists, photographers, historians, curators, politicians, as well as Brower's family, friends, and colleagues. Monumental tells the story of a true American legend, an artist, a publisher, a filmmaker and an zealous crusader for the cause of environmentalism.
The film combines the 1950s and '60s aesthetic of archival footage with a modern look and recent interviews for a visually compelling experience that anyone can enjoy, whether young or old, activism neophyte or diehard environmentalist.
Find out where Monumental is screening.
 | "There is but one ocean though its coves have many
names; a single sea of atmosphere with no coves at all; the miracle of soil,
alive and giving life, lying thin on the only earth for which there is no
spare." --David Brower, 1950
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