For the past several years I’ve been working away at a documentary about the decades-long fight over the Opal Creek Wilderness. In 2020, midway through the project, the area was hit by a massive wildfire. The Beachie Creek Fire upended the lives of many of the folks that had been graciously participating in the film. It destroyed their homes and communities, destroyed most of Jawbone Flats, and it killed George Atiyeh who I had the good fortune of getting to know over the course of shooting the film. The fire has also undoubtedly torched many, if not most, of the trees that made Opal Creek an Oregon icon.
About the Film:
LAST STAND (wt) tells the story of one of the Timber Wars’ longest and most dramatic battles: the fight over Opal Creek’s ancient forest. Through archival footage and extensive interviews with activists, conservationists, loggers and mill workers, viewers experience the raw conflict of a timber community colliding head-on with the environmental movement.
Below are some stills from the film. Pictured: George Atiyeh, Tom Atiyeh, Paul Toews, Jim Quiring, Micheal Donnelly, Megan Selvig, Auggie Gleason and various images from the North Santiam Canyon.
