Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Directors: Laurence Billiet and Rachel Antony, Madman Entertainment.
Part-warrior, part-man of peace but always committed to a cause, environmentalist, doctor and former politician, Bob Brown took green politics to the centre of power. From a seedling to forest elder The Giants interweaves Bob’s story with the life cycle of the ancient trees he is fighting for.
He has a mystical connection with that forest and he’s willing to fight for it. This biopic of the leader of the world’s first Green party, goes from Bob’s story to the trees’ story – revealing just how closely intertwined they are. It’s a joyous exploration of the forest delivered in a fresh, imaginative and overwhelming way.
This is the extraordinary life of Brown intertwined with the story of Australia’s ancient trees. As he says: “To save a little of this sort of magnificence …We are here to stop destruction, to exhibit love and to put things right.”
The hidden life of the forest is brought to life by cameras rigged high in the tree canopy, immersive point cloud animation generated from 3D tree scans, and thought-provoking insights by the likes of David Suzuki and Merlin Sheldrake.
The Giants explores the intertwined fates of trees and humans in this cinematic portrait. Brown’s trailblazing life helps narrate the exhilarating rise of the environmental movement in Australia from the successful Franklin River campaign in 1983 to today’s fight for the Tarkine. The film is a poetic exploration of his motivations and his actions that began with a few lone acts of protest; and of his spiritual connection to nature that continues to sustain him.
The Giants ignites an urgent conversation about the right of the forest to exist and challenges the audience to write the next chapter.
- The Giants will screen in cinemas nationally from April 20
