Synopsis
Environmental filmmaker and mother Oren Siedler embarks on a global quest to know if the UN Trillian Tree initiative will succeed. Her exploration begins in her home country of Australia and extends to Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, India, and Japan.
Using immersive, observational film-making, Oren encounters people who aren’t waiting for governments to act. Instead, they’re blending human ingenuity and creativity with ancient wisdom and modern technology to regenerate landscapes and nurture sustainable solutions.
Uncovering raw, intimate, and emotional narratives, Oren discovers the profound impact these innovators have on their communities and the planet. She comes to understand that the transformative power of their dedication is sparking a renewed global hope for restoring our world.
Story
When environmental filmmaker Oren Siedler first heard about the UN’s ambitious plan to plant a trillion trees, she felt that familiar flutter of hope mixed with scepticism. As a mother watching her children inherit an increasingly fragile world, she needed to know: would this massive undertaking actually work, or was it just another well-intentioned promise destined to disappoint?
What began as a simple question launched Oren on an extraordinary journey that would transform her understanding of healing our planet. In Australia, she discovers that the real forest makers aren’t the politicians making grand declarations or the corporations planting photo-op saplings. They’re ordinary people with dirt under their fingernails and fire in their hearts, quietly revolutionising how we think about restoration.
Oren’s quest was first sparked by years of filming her partner Tony Kenway, whose handcrafted furniture from Australia’s finest timbers led him to take responsibility for restoring hundreds of acres in the ancient Gondwana forest region. In his workshop Tony reveals the profound awakening that transformed him from craftsman to land steward.
Also in Australia, fire ecologist Andy Baker —a white man who has earned the blessing of Traditional Owners to carry forward their cultural burning practices— shows Oren how ancient wisdom is being revived to heal fire-scarred landscapes. Working alongside Indigenous elders, Andy embodies a rare exchange of trust and shared purpose in caring for Country.
In Canada, Eli Enns bridges worlds, bringing his Nuu-chah-nulth ancestral teachings to global conservation. Co-founder of Tribal Parks and international policy influencer, Eli demonstrates that restoring ecosystems begins with restoring relationships—to land, culture, and each other.
Her travels take her to Costa Rica’s jungles, where international dreamers build sustainable futures with their hands. In Spain’s cork forests, seven generations of the Cortés family reveal how environmental stewardship flows through bloodlines. Each encounter peels away her assumptions about what restoration really means.
In India’s Piplantri village, grief-stricken village chief transforms personal tragedy into a community revolution—planting 111 trees for every baby girl born. In Japan’s misty forests, Dr. Miyazaki shows how scientific rigor meets spiritual healing through forest bathing.
Through Oren’s inquisitive presence, these forest makers reveal their most vulnerable truths. She realises she’s witnessing something profound: ordinary people choosing hope over despair, action over waiting. Their stories aren’t just about environmental recovery—they’re about the deep connections between healing the earth and healing ourselves.
Production Stage
- Development
- Production
- Post-production
- Completed
- Outreach
DURATION: 90 MINUTES
Issue area
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