A year-long observation reveals the secret life of a tree and its animal visitors

‘There are trees where to lay your eggs or where to find a safe cover; trees on which to look for food or, simply, to scratch your back and thus leave behind a trace of your passage’ – Bruno D’Amicis and Umberto Esposito

An inspired filmmaking experiment, One Tree, One Year observes a year in the life of a beech tree in Italy’s National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. Filmed continuously through the changing seasons, the short documentary glimpses several species – including wild boar, Italian wolves and Marsican brown bears – passing by and interacting with the tree in a variety of ways, unaware of the camera. The result is a simple yet enchanting rejoinder to sensationalised nature filmmaking, and a marvellous distillation of the incredible complexity of ecosystems.

Via Kottke