A walk in the woods will never be the same! Author Peter Wohlleben moved readers worldwide when he published his 2015 instant bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees, which convincingly made the case that trees are social beings and that a forest is a social network. Drawing on groundbreaking scientific discoveries, Wohlleben describes how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. 

Now this remarkable work comes to the big screen in a wondrous adaptation directed by Jörg Adolph (Parents’ School) and featuring Wohlleben himself. The forester shares his deep love of trees and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration he has observed for decades. Wohlleben tells us in entertaining and enlightening fashion about the solidarity and cohesion among trees, bringing us closer to these astounding living entities. 

We follow Wohlleben as he travels to Sweden to see the oldest tree in the world; visits Poland to discuss with activists the benefits of letting forests grow on their own without human intervention; visits a Native American Reservation near Vancouver Island to challenge the concept of clear-cutting a forest; sides with demonstrators trying to save Germany’s ancient Hambach Forest. He makes it clear that we humans can only survive if the nature around us is also healthy – and that the eleventh hour is already upon us. Director Adolph combines this exciting portrait of a man who understands the language of trees with breathtaking nature footage from the world of forests to create a documentary which is as entertaining as it is fascinating. In German, Korean, English and Polish with English subtitles. Director Jörg Adolph (Germany 2020) 81 min.