Operation Wolf Patrol: Poacher’s Kingdom
Film Session(s)
Venue(s)
12 minutes, United States, 2017
"Operation Wolf Patrol: Poacher's Kingdom," is a short film that is currently being developed as a feature documentary. Though the short is a stand alone piece, the description for the feature follows.
"Operation Wolf Patrol" is a character driven documentary that tells the story of eco-activist Rod Coronado as he emerges from prison and recommits himself to the protection of wild animals. The film follows Rod and his group of volunteer “wolf patrollers” as they attempt to end wolf hunting in the United States. Over the course of three years we watch Rod work to redefine his activism in an era– post 9/11, where some have called him an “ecoterrorist.” Rod’s current efforts are set against his 30-year involvement in radical environmental action. The film comes to a climax when Coronado's "Wolf Patrol" is met with a tightening of "hunter harassment laws" in Wisconsin, and renewed attempts to send Coronado back to prison. Now, Coronado must ask himself, if he is not willing to go back to prison for "eco-sabotage," is he willing to go back to fight a law that some are calling "unconstitutional"?
"Operation Wolf Patrol" is a film that takes on the abuse of wildlife. The film will have three main impacts. 1st, the film will expose unsporting hunting practices related to wolf hunting. Issues such as the use of leg-hold traps, hound hunting, poaching, and the use of poison to kill wolves, will all be examined. The secondary, but connected issues of bear baiting and bear hounding are also interrogated throughout the documentary. Learn more about the issues at the following links: Wolfpatrolfilm.com & WolfPatrol.org. 2nd, the film will serve as a media campaign challenging Wisconsin's new "Ag Gag" style "Hunter Harassment" law that prohibits photographing hunters on public lands. Wisconsin passed a law in April of 2016 that specifically targeted the Wolf Patrol's citizen monitoring efforts by criminalizing photography on public lands. "Operation Wolf Patrol" Director– Joe Brown, is currently working with the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to challenge the constitutionality of this law in federal court. 3rd, the film will establish itself as the first feature-length documentary on Rod Coronado's 30 years of environmental activism. Upon its completion, "Operation Wolf Patrol" will become part of the growing canon of environmental films such as, "The Cove," "If a Tree Falls," "PickAxe," and "Who Bombed Judi Bari?".
Director(s): Joseph Brown
Producer(s):