"Giants Rising" delves into redwoods science, history, cultural ties, and superpowers
They only had to wait a few thousand years, but the redwoods are finally getting their moment in the cinematic spotlight. California’s big trees are the stars of Giants Rising, a feature-length documentary by director Lisa Landers.
“There wasn’t a film out there that told the redwoods tale in its entirety,” says Landers. “It was always pieces of it, but there was no singular cinematic experience that would delve into the science, the history, our cultural ties to the redwoods, and the unbelievable awe that the trees inspire.” Landers began developing the film in 2018, but the spark for this passion project dates back to a childhood visit to Muir Woods that left her “awestruck.”
Giants Rising paints a mesmerizing picture of how these forests have endured for millennia, with state-of-the art animations illuminating the redwoods’ superpowers—from withstanding fire and sharing resources underground to capturing massive amounts of carbon. The film also explores the unique hold these trees have on the human heart. Scientists, conservationists, and Indigenous leaders share fascinating stories of discovery and connection in the redwoods, and all speak passionately about the pressing need to protect these vital ecosystems. Tragic losses to the ancient forests—and the equally dramatic battles to save these iconic trees.
Conservation efforts by Save the Redwoods League and its partners are also woven throughout the documentary. “Many of the research and conservation projects that we highlight were made possible, often in large part, by Save the Redwoods League, from the mapping of the redwood genome to the Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative,” says Landers. She adds that “Redwoods Rising is a big moment in the film,” referring to the League’s ambitious partnership to restore 70,000 acres of formerly logged redwood forest in Redwood National and State Parks.
Several key scenes in the film were filmed at the former Orick mill site in Humboldt County, a League property that will be returned to the Yurok Tribe in 2026 as part of the shared vision for ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway. Rosie Clayburn, Yurok tribal heritage preservation officer, is a central protagonist in Giants Rising, giving voice to the significance of redwoods to the Yurok Tribe—and their fight to restore cultural connections to these ancestral forests.
Another passionate figure is Sarah Bird, a multimedia artist and photographer working to capture a life-size portrait of an ancient redwood. The film chronicles Bird’s process in finding the perfect subject—a 1500-year-old coast redwood called Old Tree—and her multiyear effort to stitch together hundreds of stills into a single image. In 2024, Bird revealed the completed portrait, Being/Tree, in San Francisco, projecting a luminous full-scale image of Old Tree onto the city’s historic Ferry Building.
Having built plenty of buzz on the festival circuit, Landers now plans to distribute the film on PBS, bringing Giant Rising to a wider audience and inspiring more people to champion the redwoods. Says Landers, “My hope is that this film kindles a deeper sense of connection to the redwoods—that it cultivates a fascination and appreciation for these trees that will make us better stewards of all forests.”
For more information on Giants Rising, including festival screenings and broadcast dates, go to GiantsRising.com.
