DECEMBER 11, 2023 KATE MOTHES
“Everywhere you look, there are stories unfolding around fungi, connecting all life in the forest. But of all the fungal species on Earth, we’ve only described about five percent,” says biologist Merlin Sheldrake (previously) in the trailer for the visually stunning, immersive new film Fungi: Web of Life.
Narrated by Björk, and produced by K2 Studios, the movie follows Sheldrake—who has devoted his career to the remarkable and mysterious world of mycelium and mushrooms—as he embarks on a journey through the ancient Tarkine rainforest of Tasmania. Timelapse cinematography reveals up-close details of rarely seen fungal phenomena, from the dispersion of spores to vast subterranean networks known fondly as the “wood wide web.”
All images © ‘Fungi: Web of Life’
The documentary comes face-to-face with the reality of habitat loss due to deforestation and the climate crisis. “We’re burning the library—a library of different ways to rise to the challenge of living,” Sheldrake warns. He visits scientists and designers at the forefront of their fields, discovering never-before-seen species and learning from mycelium to create new, sustainable products and environmental solutions.
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