Groups: Movie's plot parallels the years-long fight against Liberty Quarry project
By AARON CLAVERIE - aclaverie@californian.com | Posted: March 3, 2010 6:53 pm
Local environmentalists who have been inspired by one of the subplots in the movie "Avatar" are giving its director, James Cameron, an award.
The coalition of "green" organizations bestowing the honor includes the Santa Margarita Group of the Sierra Club, the Endangered Habitats League and Save Our Southwest Hills, a group of area residents who have focused their energies of late to opposing Granite Construction's Liberty Quarry project.
If Cameron shows up to collect his prize ---- the inaugural "Temecula Environmental Award for Outstanding Social Responsibility in Media" ---- it will be handed out in September during the annual Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival.
"The plight of the Na'vi people in (Cameron's) film very closely mirrors the environmental and social struggle the residents of Temecula and surrounding communities are facing, as well as the potential destruction of sacred lands of The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians," said Kathleen Hamilton of SOS Hills on Wednesday, explaining why Cameron was selected for the honor.
In "Avatar," which is up for a "Best Picture" Oscar, a mining company from Earth visits a planet called Pandora in search of a valuable mineral.
To get at a large deposit of the mineral, the company destroys a tree considered sacred by the planet's native inhabitants, setting the stage for an epic battle that pits the natives, the Na'vi, against the company's mercenary soldier force.
The Na'vi end up winning the battle and the company's executives and the soldiers who survived the battle are sent back to Earth.
"We are willing to protect our quality of life, and we are willing to fight for it, as they (the Na'vi) did," Hamilton said.
Granite has been working for years to receive approval to dig a large quarry on county land near Temecula's southwestern border.
The project has been criticized by both the Pechanga tribe and environmentalists who are concerned about how it would affect the migration patterns of animals, the air quality in the area and water quality in the Santa Margarita River watershed.
When Barbara Wilder, another SOS Hills member, saw the movie, she said she immediately thought of the Liberty Quarry controversy.
"It was so obvious that it was about Granite and Pechanga," she said.
Granite Construction spokeswoman Karie Reuther declined an opportunity to comment.
Weighing in on the possibility of Cameron actually showing up to accept the award, Wilder said a SOS Hills member has talked to representatives at 20th Century Fox, the studio that released "Avatar." And she was encouraged.
"He's really interested in helping (environmental) organizations with what needs to be done," she said.
In interviews with multiple media outlets, Cameron has said he purposely stressed the environmental message in "Avatar," despite the concerns of some studio executives who felt there was too much "tree-hugging."
A message left Wednesday with Cameron's assistant at Lightstorm Entertainment Inc., Cameron's production company, was not returned.
Jim Mitchell, chairman of the local Sierra Club group, said it would be a real treat if Cameron's schedule allowed him to attend the city's film festival in September.
"But we would love to have him come out any old time," he said.
Asked if the award would become an annual fixture of the festival, Mitchell said, "I think so. It's something that we feel ---- the giving of an award for recognition for a job well done ---- is an important part of what we should be doing."
Call staff writer Aaron Claverie at 951-676-4315, ext. 2624.
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