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Independent Films for Theatrical Projection, Education, and Communication.
Unconquering The Last Frontier
1920x1440/1440P, Digital Projection Print, 2K DCI.
Produced and Directed by Robert Lundahl. Cinematogaphy and Editing by Robert Lundahl. PBS.
Narrated by Gary Farmer, “Unconquering the Last Frontier” explores the causes and effects of the ongoing salmon crisis in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on the Elwha River.
"Unconquering the Last Frontier" is a documentary film by Robert Lundahl that tells the story of the Elwha River dam removal project in Washington State. The film focuses on the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's struggle to survive in the shadow of hydroelectric development and their fight to restore the river's ecosystem and fisheries.
It highlights the injustices faced by the tribe and the complex politics surrounding dam removal. The film also explores the broader themes of Native American rights, resource management, and the impact of dam building on ecosystems and communities.
Focus on the Elwha River:
The documentary centers on the Elwha River and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's efforts to remove the dams and restore the river's ecological integrity.
“Song on the Water” The Return of the Great Canoes
1920x1080/1080P, Digital Projection Print, 2K DCI.
60 minute PBS documentary. In the 1960's Native Americans in the state of Washington were forbidden from fishing in their traditional areas, off the reservations. In what became know as the “Fish Wars,” tribal fishermen were harassed and sometimes beaten by State Police. When the Boalt Decision passed in the U.S. federal courts in 1976, the federal government guaranteed the rights to fish in “usual and accustomed grounds.” But the state often denied access. Finally in a compromise, the state agreed to allow tribes to access traditional fishing grounds if they demonstrated they could access them by traditional means, ocean going canoes.
Lundahl’s award winning ethnographic documentary, “Song on the Water” (2005), takes viewers along with 50 indigenous canoes, their crews, and communities on a modern-day voyage to a traditional potlatch. Filled with beautiful photography and inspiring Coast Salish and Nuu Chah Nulth songs and cultural expressions, the one-hour film explores what the voyage means to the “pullers,” ground crews, and elders who share the waves, the traditions, and a vision of a positive future for Coast Salish youth.
Produced and Directed by Robert Lundahl. Cinematogaphy and Editing by Robert Lundahl. Location Sound, Paul Hawxhurst.
“Who Are My People?”
1920x1080/1080P, Digital Projection Print, 2K DCI.
In the Mojave desert, the world’s energy companies converge to produce power. They’ve destroyed ecosystems, migrating birds, tortoise, and sacred places from ancient civilizations. Theatrical Screenings 5 States.
The LA Times indicates, we are at a “Flashpoint” between competing value-systems. Bodies have been exhumed, and geoglyphs destroyed, in an area that is a long-term indigenous settlement.
“Who Are My People?” depicts how the world’s energy firms have met their match in a small group of Native American elders, in the hottest desert on the planet.
Produced and Directed by Robert Lundahl. Cinematogaphy and Editing by Robert Lundahl.
Harvest Dreams
1920x1080/1080P, Digital Projection Print, 2K DCI.
Harvest Dreams profiles four farms and four farming families on Washington’s beautiful Olympia Peninsula, as agriculture there transitions from commodity products to niche and organic produce.
The film was shot over the course of a year to reveal activities through the change of seasons. It is at once touching and tragic as generations transition and farming practices in general face competition from increasing land costs and housing development that forces some out of the business forever.
PayDirt
1920x1080/1080P, Digital Projection Print, 2K DCI.
Filmed in San Francisco and Irvine, California and Hutto, Texas.
Originally Produced for A&E.
Sections available under Short Films include:
Bad Soil
Dead Men Tell No Lies
Code of Silence
Written, Produced and Directed by Robert Lundahl for RL | A. (See additional credits).
2009.
Barry Jay Minkow (born March 22, 1966)[1] is a former American businessman, pastor, and convicted felon. While still in high school, Minkow founded ZZZZ Best (/ˈziːbɛst/[2]), which appeared to be an immensely successful carpet-cleaning and restoration company. However, it was actually a front to attract investment for a massive Ponzi scheme. ZZZZ Best collapsed in 1987, costing investors and lenders $100 million in one of the largest investment frauds ever perpetrated by a single person, as well as one of the largest accounting frauds in history. The scheme is often used as a case study of accounting fraud.
After being released from jail, Minkow became a pastor and fraud investigator in San Diego, and spoke at churches and schools about ethics. This came to an end in 2011, when he admitted to helping deliberately drive down the stock price of homebuilder Lennar and was ordered back to prison for five years. Three years later, Minkow admitted to defrauding his own church and was sentenced to an additional five years in prison. He is subject to restitution requirements totaling $612 million.