Arts Express: The Cannes Film Festival Reports: There are a bunch of eco-terrorists on the loose at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. And one of them just happens to also be a filmmaker.
First Mate Peter J. Brown has turned up with the rest of the outlaw crew as their ship docked at Cannes Harbor, on the occasion of the screening this week of Brown’s beyond controversial documentary at the Cannes Film Festival, Confessions Of An Eco-terrorist. The crew will also be conducting tours on board.
And actually, there are two eco-terrorists in question, but one of them has been kind of in hiding on the high seas – fugitive felon Captain Paul Watson, who incidentally prides himself on being most wanted. But I caught up with Brown by phone, to get a better understanding of why, among other enigmas, environmentalists may love planet earth but hate each other.
Now, you might wonder, how do you interview an eco-terrorist? The former cameraman for NBC’s Entertainment Tonight was indeed feisty. But Arts Express was up to the challenge. As Brown makes reference during this conversation to among other potential felonies: high maintenance guerrilla warfare; environmental piracy; and pursuing crimes against wildlife no matter what the penalties or rules may be. Here’s that conversation or rather confrontation.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE
Confessions Of An Eco-Terrorist additionally raises significant questions about the limitations and even pitfalls of single issue or identity politics. Which unlike mass movements, may tend to benefit one group at the expense of another. Other hot topics included ‘Veggie Jesuits’ on board; what exactly is an eco-warrior and why they pride themselves on ‘manufactured awareness’ and ‘strategic media traps; how come Watson was booted from both Greenpeace and The Sierra Club for alleged anti-immigrant sentiments; and how one of Captain Watson’s three wives ended up in Playboy because of her big, well, tan – and might that constitute an animal rights offense with the exploitation of Bunnies.
As for choice of mottoes, First Mate Brown has embraced, ‘You negotiate, I’ll ram ships!’ While Captain Watson favors, ‘There’s nothing wrong with being an eco-terrorist, as long as you win!’ Move over, Pirates Of The Caribbean…
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