Land and identity at the sharpening edge of American discontent


The Film

Anti-government extremists place a frontier community in the crosshairs with an armed and deadly seizure of a federal compound deep in the American West. Sparked by 2016’s Ammon Bundy-led armed takeover of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, filmmakers employ unparalleled access to explore conflicts over land and identity here and across a fragmented national landscape. With the county sheriff’s lead, rebellion meets local resistance, grit, and tenacity in this intimate story told over nearly a decade. Complex, unsettling, and profoundly human, Refuge depicts a cautionary tale and a critical point of hope in a time of historic American distress.

 
 

Your contribution is tax-deductible and brings this important story to light. Thank you!


 
 

Comments About Refuge

 
You have us hooked! The film delivers so much more than just a story about the occupation.
— JULIE BRYANT & BILL ROACH -Founders, PLAYA Arts and Sciences Residency Program
 
Once we begin to really listen to one another, we can change perspectives and practices that move from the polarization and fracturing of society to building a more equitable and respectful community. This theme runs consistently through Refuge.
— DAVID LESLIE -Director, Rothko Chapel, Houston, TX
 
Wow! I forgot how much it hurt. I am holding back tears. And the rumblings are still there given the situation this nation is in. THANK YOU!
— SUZANNE SETTLE, Harney County Sheriff's Dispatch Manager
 
These were extraordinarily emotional times…and the tenor of that from the inside is what makes this film a real standout.
— DIANE RAPAPORT -Author, Harney County Resident

 

We’d also like to hear your first-hand accounts of the Malheur refuge occupation and its aftermath. Contact us: sue(at)hareinthegate.com or richard(at)hareinthegate.com