Educational Media Reviews Online

Fury for the Sound examines a grassroots women's movement to save the old growth trees of Clayoquot Sound in Western Canada from clear cutting. In the video, seventy and eighty year-old women, side by side with pink-haired teenagers, block logging trucks intent on clear cutting some of the last old growth temperate rain forests. Canadian women also cooperate and work for change at the "peace camp," a feminist based utopian protest camp. Moreover, the historical roots of "Ecofeminism," including the Chipko women of India (the original treehuggers), as well as the women of England's Greenham Common, are examined in Fury for the Sound.

Obviously, you don't have to be a feminist to oppose the destruction of our environment. Despite speeches, demonstrations, and "peace camps," the most moving aspects of Fury for the Sound were the pictures of the devastated, clear-cut forest areas in Clayoquot Sound. Finally, I felt dissatisfied with the video's failure to examine the root causes of deforestation, which include overpopulation, corporate greed, and the irresponsibility of multinational corporations.

The editing and visual quality of Fury for the Sound were excellent. Sound was clear and unobtrusive. Unfortunately, the video seemed longer than it actually was. I felt that the video content could be more tightly edited. In addition, I was disturbed by several false climaxes of the video. In conclusion, I can recommend this video for college level Canadian and Women's Studies programs. However, due to the reservations stated above, I can't give it a general recommendation for high school or general college classes.