Secrets in the World’s Largest Forest

Spectacular, panoramic images, made all the more evocative by the use of CGI for special effects, combine to form this extraordinary nature documentary. An exploration of the secret life of trees and how the last great forest in the world has the power to shape not only the lives of the plants and animals that inhabit it, but also our lives and that of the whole planet.

Covering more than half the area of Canada, the boreal forest is the largest terrestrial biome. Its extreme environment, where temperatures range from -50°C in winter to +40°C in summer, creates a tough task for the flora and fauna of the region: that of adapting to survive. Recent studies have led scientists to confirm that not only can trees resist in these conditions and are also among the most dynamic forms of life on the planet. They are also highly sociable and generous, a fact which allows them to form veritable and vibrant communities.

The director Ryszard Hunka takes us on this amazing journey to discover the complex systems that allow boreal forest trees to prosper and play a key role in supporting life on earth. Each of the scientists he talks to exudes contagious enthusiasm for their studies of the northern forest but also confess deep concern: will this force of nature, which has been an integral part of the health of our planet for more than 10,000 years, still be self-sufficient and capable of standing up to climate change? The biologist Jill Johnstone believes that it is in our interest to find out: “What is happening in the northern hemisphere may not necessarily stay there and is important for all of us.”