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The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees
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Call of the Forest is now available on DVD!

"Call of the Forest is a film of rare significance."                                        - Annie Proulx
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Call of the Forest is now screening across Canada!
"Magnificent."                                        - David Suzuki

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About the Film


In a theatrical feature and 1-hour television documentary, we follow visionary scientist, conservationist and author, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, on her journey to the most beautiful forests of the northern hemisphere. From the sacred sugi and cedar forests of Japan, the ancient Raheen Wood of Ireland, the walnut and redwood trees of America, to the great boreal forest of Canada, Beresford-Kroeger tells us the amazing stories behind the history and legacy of these ancient forests while also explaining the science of trees and the irreplaceable roles they play in protecting and feeding the planet. 

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Trailer

Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a world recognized author and scientist. She has a unique combination of western scientific knowledge and the traditional concepts of the ancient world. Orphaned in Ireland in her youth, Beresford-Kroeger was educated by elders who instructed her in the Brehon knowledge of plants and nature.

Learn more about the person behind this project

“Diana Beresford-Kroeger and I share a dream. We want people to see the forest and the trees, and the wildlife abounding in wild environments, in fine detail.”

– E.O. Wilson, Harvard entomologist, conservationist and father of modern environmentalism.

A Message from the Filmmaker

For those of us who have grown up in Canada there seems an endless supply of trees, yet in this country we cut down approximately a billion of them every year. This idea of an endless natural bounty reminds me of a story I heard in elementary school. It was from John Cabot’s diary about the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Cabot wrote that all one had to do to catch fish was to drop a bucket over board and pull it up and there would be fish in it. Now a days that bucket is more likely to not be filled with fish but with used condoms and tampon applicators.

The main figure in this film, biochemist and botanist Diana Beresford Kroeger talks about now seeing within view for the first time, the end of nature. For us in the cities, I suspect we must look with a guided eyeglass to see what is happening in nature, as we have lost the ability for ourselves to know what we are seeing. We are in tune with the rhythm of the cities, with its traffic flows, but not so much with how a river flows.

This idea of sign recognition in nature is key to the understanding the interconnected laws of our natural world beyond our immediate selves; recognition, identification of signs and comprehension of implications of our actions and/or inactions. And for Diana, the tree is our perfect steppingstone back to nature. From the single tree outside your door to a vast forest beyond our view or conception, Diana believes the necessary re-engagement of person and tree is where real understanding of nature can grow from.

This is even more critical as the world’s population is shifting towards urban from rural. And it will be the urban populations that will determine the policies of how the rural agricultural lands and forests will be managed.

Jeff McKay

Review

“This wonderful film reminds us of the profound importance of our ancient forests and native woodlands, not only in sustaining life on our shared planet but also in inspiring and enriching our culture.”

President Michael D. Higgins, Uachtarán na hÉireann, President of Ireland

“Call of the Forest is magnificent! This is a very important film and I hope that all of the politicians in Ottawa receive a copy of it – and the forest ministries around the world.”

David Suzuki, Scientist, Author and Broadcaster

“Poetic…passionate…Call of the Forest carries its important message with grace.”

Brad Wheeler, Film Reviewer, The Globe and Mail

“CALL OF THE FOREST is a film of rare significance. It draws the viewer into the green world that sustains life on this planet at a crucial ecological point, and is an introduction to the work of Diana Beresford-Kroeger, one of the least known but most important people on the planet.”

Annie Proulx - Photo by Gus Powell
Annie Proulx, Pulitzer Prize-­ and National Book Award-­winning author of "The Shipping News" and “Brokeback Mountain.” Her most recent novel "Barkskins" focuses on the destruction of the world's forests.
Annie Proulx - Photo by Gus Powell

“With cinematography that is often breathtaking and never clichéd, the film takes viewers on a journey through the woodlands of the northern hemisphere…At its best, the film will make you see trees with new eyes. And McKay and Beresford-Kroeger want you to do more than see. Like many advocacy docs, Call of the Forest ends with a call for action beyond the movie theatre. The filmmakers want you — yes, you! — to plant a tree. Now, if possible. Be prepared to grab a shovel and get your hands dirty.”

Alison Gillmor, Winnipeg Free Press Film Reviewer

“An environmental poem for our times.”

Alan Geldart
Alan Geldart, Sound Designer and Sound Editor in Film, Television and Interactive Audio
Alan Geldart

“CALL OF THE FOREST is a radical breath of fresh air.”

Ryszard Hunka
Ryszard Hunka, Gemini award-winning writer, producer, and director.
Ryszard Hunka

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