Green Death of the Forests

Green Death of the Forests

2012, Environment  -   60 Comments
9.01
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Ratings: 9.01/10 from 119 users.

Green Death of The Forests is an unusual film. It is both a hard hitting portrayal of the causes and consequences of deforestation in Indonesia, and a film which captures the tranquility and calm of wild nature. It contains no narrative or dialogue and yet helps us understand complex commodity chains.

It was made with a small camera by a single person on a tourist visa, and has beaten much larger production teams, and healthily funded groups to the most prestigious prizes in environmental film-making.

Green needs to be taken seriously. That means it, and the issues it touches upon, need to be studied critically. We hope that this will facilitate the action and thinking that Green requires. For it is difficult just to watch it, but what to do requires some thought.

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Old Arctic Fox
Old Arctic Fox
2 years ago

Glad to be 91 years, not 19. I see nothing but black on the horizon. Little wonder many Japanese see the same and shun marriage, reproduction. Serious population control would seem to be one ‘solution’, though we are past the tipping point. We are saturated with consumerism and cannot release ourselves from it. We have sealed our fate, surely.

Manusia malu
Manusia malu
5 years ago

Still remembered me driving through Sumatra took 3 month,because of great scenery of jungle,back in 96,right after we grad hi school,three of us made a lot of transit,to various village visiting one of our relatives,heard a lot of tales from many elders,welcoming us,next gen,that their hoping will continue their legacy to preserve ,one of his uncle actually having a tiger cub and one orangutan as his pet back in linggau,my oh my it takes us 3 month to get to our destination in Medan,north Sumatra,my dad 4*4 Toyota,still there at his garage,but all,waterfall,crystal clear river,pristine jungle at side of many villages that it cars takes us back in those day and make me feel so litle at my biggest age are gone,what a shame on us,on behalf of human race

Generic smith
Generic smith
6 years ago

Point well made through cinematography, hats off to film crew and editors.

DustUp
DustUp
6 years ago

Hats off to the filmer+editor who made their point well. Sadly very few (1or2) commentors had a solution, the rest just whine, or feel sad, which does what? Zip.

The person who said grow your own garden is on the right track. Every bit of processed and packaged anything is part of the problem. But before that, CITIES are the cause. When you jam people in tight, they multiply like rodents. Then greedy individuals who gain greatly from big biz, be it capitalism, socialism, communism, progressivism, etc. has a reason to exist: to supply those with no area to grow their own food or grow wood or bamboo for their needs or trade with their neighbor(the actual meaning of capitalism).

Conventional enviro intelligencia(cough cough) IS THE PROBLEM. They have influenced politicians to enact regulations which cause ever expanding wildlife destruction zones called CITIES. How much fossil fuel is expended to provide products to people in cities? Mine materials, manufacture big harvesters, plant mega acres, ship to processor, process, make the packaging machinery, make the packaging materials, package, build the stores, ship to stores, etc. Then you still have to deal with the packaging which remains. Very little of this occurs if you grow your own food and fiber.

It is also interesting that some think that the false information they believe is more accurate than the false information that someone else believes. Those that believe that fossil fuel is becoming a rare commodity likely believe that diamonds are rare gems and for the same reason, fake news, marketing, and propaganda; all which benefit those who own it. Believing the bald faced lie that Ethanol consumes as much energy to make it as it provides, benefits who? Same Rockefellers et. al. who own the fossil fuel resources. Brazil proved that Ethanol provides 6 to 8 times the energy output as input including the manufacturing of the tractors to farm it with. Ethanol could EASILY replace ALL fossil fuel use, if only we were willing to investigate, rather than suck up the fake news of so called studies done at universities paid for by? The oil industry. Those studies are so flawed, the universities should have their accreditation revoked. Do a web search for alcoholcanbeagas. Turn off the boob tube. Don't believe anything, do your own looking into things.

The world isn't hopeless. It is just filled with the highly misinformed via fake education and fake news. Who is responsible? You are. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Yet most prefer to be fooled than to lift a finger or click a mouse to find out the rest of the story, or the actual story.

DustUp
DustUp
6 years ago

Hats off to the filmer+editor who made their point well. Sadly very few (1or2) commentors had a solution, the rest just whine, or feel sad, which does what? Zip.

The person who said grow your own garden is on the right track. Every bit of processed and packaged anything is part of the problem. But before that, CITIES are the cause. When you jam people in tight, they multiply like rodents. Then greedy individuals who gain greatly from big biz, be it capitalism, socialism, communism, progressivism, etc. has a reason to exist: to supply those with no area to grow their own food or grow wood or bamboo for their needs or trade with their neighbor(the actual meaning of capitalism).

Conventional enviro intelligencia(cough cough) IS THE PROBLEM. They have influenced politicians to enact regulations which cause ever expanding wildlife destruction zones called CITIES. How much fossil fuel is expended to provide products to people in cities? Mine materials, manufacture big harvesters, plant mega acres, ship to processor, process, make the packaging machinery, make the packaging materials, package, build the stores, ship to stores, etc. Then you still have to deal with the packaging. Very little of this occurs if you grow your own food and fiber.

It is also interesting that some think that the false information they believe is more accurate than the false information that someone else believes. Those that believe that fossil fuel is becoming a rare commodity likely believe that diamonds are rare gems and for the same reason, fake news, marketing, and propaganda; all which benefit those who own it. Believing the bald faced lie that Ethanol consumes as much energy to make it as it provides benefits who? Same Rockefellers et. al. who own the fossil fuel resources. Brazil proved that Ethanol provides 6 to 8 times the energy output as input including the manufacturing of the tractors to farm it with. Ethanol could EASILY replace ALL fossil fuel use, if only we were willing to investigate, rather than suck up the fake news of so called studies done at universities paid for by? The oil industry. Those studies are so flawed, the universities should have their accreditation revoked. Do a web search for alcoholcanbeagas. Turn off the boob tube. Don't believe anything, do your own looking into things.

The world isn't hopeless. It is just filled with the highly misinformed via fake education and fake news. Who is responsible? You are. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Yet most prefer to be fooled than to lift a finger or click a mouse to find out the rest of the story, or the actual story.

The elites have a solution. To get rid of you. And they are working on it.

Niko
Niko
8 years ago

At first i was like typical american consumption... then i relized alot of these things shown were literally Finnish, to many companies from here. Litereallly finnish words here and there... i feel bad.

bluetortilla
bluetortilla
9 years ago

Welcome! You are watching...
ARMAGEDDON NOW!!!

Lunarwolf 137
Lunarwolf 137
9 years ago

I am going to stop eating chocolates and junk food containing palm oil from today on, and inform others that buying and consuming food and cosmetics containing palm oil is unnecessary and is killing the forests.

François Ainsley
François Ainsley
10 years ago

How symbolic was that, the chimp's death bed was probably made of the wood from the trees that made up its habitat in the first place..

Ryan Hahn
Ryan Hahn
11 years ago

OK, everyone stop being sad and take action! Start your own garden and grow your own food. Stop giving power to the big corporations, because that's what you are doing if you don't take action. Right now!
If you don't do it, you have NO RIGHT to feel sad for these or any other creatures. No action= death.

xyz4yo@gmail.com
xyz4yo@gmail.com
11 years ago

very sad. this shows how we have destroyed this magnificent planet the habitats for animals and even for ourselves and there seems no way out of it!
excellent doc. thank you Al Jazeera and TDF.

JtothaP
JtothaP
11 years ago

Sadly, although i don't care for this, I have an issue with people getting quite so upset over it when there is still an abundance of human suffering in the world. For all you people who invest your time and money trying to save the rainforest, it would be much more ethical of you to invest this instead in trying to deal with humanistic suffering. These are animals and i cannot value them as highly as a do humans, stop wasting your time with this nonsense, it can be dealt with at a future date when we have done a better job at dealing with suffering among our own species.

I also can't believe that none of you could truly live without wood or paper or would have a desire to. Almost everything you own will have relied on paper that could well have come from a rainforest, at some point in its manufacturing process, for the time being, it is the only viable option we have.

The palm oil industry is unnecessary, however, if we are cutting down the trees for wood and paper anyway, it would be a waste of these animals lives not to use everything we can.

I know that lots of environmentalists will now be getting on my back about how 'heartless' i am and how i don't have a 'soul' (which is alright since its a fictional thing). Well just know, i think you are the heartless and lazy ones because you are are too concerned with long term environmental issues which will naturally occur anyway when you could be investing them into helping those less fortunate in your own species.

beneloben
beneloben
11 years ago

Sadly, money rules over everything ... even the ones who think they are religious, don't realize that they're praying to a God but really believe in another, the Allmighty Dollar ... everything on this planet has a price sadly :(

Lastviewer
Lastviewer
11 years ago

No comment during the whole docu.
Just as if this points out the reason how this happened to be.
We're silent just as that docu.
In any events, Indonesia will be done with its wildlife in less than one generation. Two at most.
Zoos wont be able to keep up with such small populations of beasts.
As I viewed the nude forest, I though to myself : Same as the pillows of bombs in Vietnam?

If anyone goes back in history, it's easy to understand that the peoples over there didn't had much to make a living, so...
Too busy in building up the wealth of planet Earth Elite.
The backdraft that drive their politic.
Since that anyhow, the end began a few generations back, who could blame the Indonesians?

Some humans help beasts but don't count on beast to save anyone!
I wouldn't.

Very last viewer.

Hope Cather
Hope Cather
11 years ago

This is heart breaking, why is there no law for the companies, that says there must be areas left untouched so these beautiful creatures can live!!! They were there first and there will be none left for future generation other than pictures. I find this absoluetly gutting!

mishap
mishap
11 years ago

I really shouldn't talk, it's what Americans did also.

mishap
mishap
11 years ago

And why hasn't this been in the spotlight of the press? Because big companys know that people would be outraged!

ratfink38
ratfink38
11 years ago

WE WILL ALL PAY SOMEDAY.

DjCu
DjCu
11 years ago

The message is clear, we need to change our ways. Now.

Patricia Amundsen
Patricia Amundsen
11 years ago

WHY? really, I ask WHY? To destroy the life support system of this planet and turn it into such pointless and lifeless and disposable STUFF is beyond my comprehension. The bottom line is that you can't eat money nor can you drink oil and if people continue this path of destruction eventually that is all they will have to sustain them. Unfortunately intelligent beings who work to protect Earth's nativity will suffer the same fate. Perhaps that is our evolution....Live only for today!!!

~Oliver B Koslik Esq
~Oliver B Koslik Esq
11 years ago

Easy Top 10 Doc's of all time.

That padio furnature is kinda nice tho...

Imightberiding
Imightberiding
11 years ago

Very poignant. With the despair, misery & hopelessness portrayed through the camera lens & embodied in the lone dying orangutan, there was no need for narration. The film maker chose wisely to present his finished product in this way.

oQ has stated all this well in her previous comment, thus I am being somewhat redundant with my statement. I only take the time to reiterate oQ's earlier opinions regarding this film because to anyone reading the comments & not sure if they will watch this doc, it is well worth the time.

Thanks for another good one Vlatko & everyone at TDF.

oQ
oQ
11 years ago

Very touching documentary, it brought me back to the trilogy by Daniel Quinn; Ishmael, The Story of B and My Ishmael.

Looking at the despair of that orangutan, one can really embody the misery of a destroyed person.

A movie to share for sure.
1i

Chrosmata
Chrosmata
11 years ago

I know Simon says, but there is a serious lack of understanding of animals. Religion seems to give us excuses. We care about ourselves with no regard for others. What are we supposed to do, limit ourselves to 7 grains of wheat per day because that will allow careless breeders to be free to choose their dreams? If we think ourselves different from the rest of the natural world, we believe ourselves as super natural. Every animal on this planet is a capitalist, they are determined to capitalize every bit they can to ensure their survival. Does a man have right to tell a dog he cannot drink?

Paul Gloor
Paul Gloor
11 years ago

A picture is worth 1000 words, 47 minutes and 14 sec at 25 fps means this doc is worth 70,850,000 words.... It needs no narrative !

Simon Gramstrup
Simon Gramstrup
11 years ago

Embarrassing.. :/ I hope someday to see a world without the blind r*tard capitalist religion!

Reila Forbes
Reila Forbes
11 years ago

Mankind is alive until animals and Nature as a whole exist. And animals and Nature in whole will continue to exist without us. Mankind will not survive without them. Just look what is happening after Chernobyl nuclear explosion.

Carole Ann Lajoie
Carole Ann Lajoie
11 years ago

Yes..I am a Vegan. I guess what it is that I was trying to convey is that I hope there is a higher being that is capable of punishing those who mistreat our animals.

Carole Ann Lajoie
Carole Ann Lajoie
11 years ago

I had a very hard time holding back my tears and the anger I feel toward the people in this film that have absolutely no respect for animals. What is wrong with human beings? How do these people that cage animals and take their right to freedom away live with themselves? I hope in my heart and soul that when our life ends here on earth, that we are all judged by our treatment of these beautiful, innocent animals and this beautiful planet that God gave us. I hope that they pay a huge price for the distruction of our planet and the way they have mistreated God's creatures.

MediaMongrel
MediaMongrel
11 years ago

This is the second or third unseasonably warm winter we seem to be having over here in Alberta. It's starting to get a little scary as winters here were never this warm in the past. Brown winters. I headed out to Banff a couple weeks ago and could not believe my eyes how brown it was mid january. I'm thinking the planet is heating up and it could starting screwing with natures processes. The warmer weather is somewhat a relief from the long cold ones, but, at what cost?

Did anyone see Beijing in the news the other day? They were closing down factories because the air quality was so bad. 12 million people live in that! I get a lot of my eBay good's from China and hate to think that I am contributing to that wretched pollution. As a jogger and outdoor enthusiast, im greatly appreciative of clean air to breathe. I hate to be frank but sending mail all over the world doesn't help.

We may be headed on a collision course folks.

Sixth mass extinction = pollution?

I saw a photo the other day with a picture of the scars from Alberta Tar Sand's operations and it read "If this is good for the economy, then screw the economy." It somewhat resonated with me and made sense.

What are your thoughts on this?

Trevis Robotie
Trevis Robotie
11 years ago

I just wanna cry my heart out.we have no soul

Nothing_Is_Real
Nothing_Is_Real
11 years ago

The powerfully rich and greedy do not take just enough, they take it all and look for more to take. We the people can justify anything that comforts us. Greed is a drug, comfort is a drug and we are all addicts.

AntiTheist666
AntiTheist666
11 years ago

A beautifully made documentary, I can see why this has won prizes. The lack of narration enhances the sounds of the environment and the haunting soundtrack goes with the agony of seeing what we’re doing to ourselves.

The Crucified One

Bogdan Gherghel
Bogdan Gherghel
11 years ago

the legal way: boycott the economy and promote sustainability. the right way: technological sabotage against the first line - the companies that cut down the forest. objectively, we were already in self-defense in this matter decades ago.