Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
At first glance, the leeward side of the Haleakalā volcano on the island of Maui appears to be little more than a vast rocky lava field. But this wasn’t always the case. A hundred years ago, this tropical dry forest area, Auwahi, was one of the richest and most biodiverse stretches of land on the Hawaiian islands – its trees and plants endlessly valuable to Native Hawaiians. But over the past century, unsustainable agricultural practices, overgrazing by non-native species and wildfires have dramatically reduced Auwahi’s size and biodiversity.
The documentary Ola Ka Honua (2023) tracks the work of the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project, which aims to preserve, revitalise and expand the endangered forest. With its title translating to ‘the Earth lives’, the film explores the connection between the land and the residents and visitors who have volunteered to restore it. Using gorgeous 3D and rotoscope animation, the filmmaker Jilli Rose, based in Australia, illustrates what Auwahi once was, and what it may become again someday thanks to this ongoing community-driven initiative. In doing so, she and her subjects hint at the potential for similar grassroots ecosystem restoration efforts worldwide.
Via Shortverse
Director: Jilli Rose
video
Ecology and environmental sciences
The ancient Hawaiian myth that sparked a modern ecological breakthrough
10 minutes
video
Music
‘Dun dun dun duuun!’ Why Beethoven’s Fifth sticks in the head and stirs the heart
5 minutes
video
Art
The irreverent duo who thumbed their noses at the Soviet Union and the US art world
11 minutes
video
Computing and artificial intelligence
A scientist’s poor eyesight helped fuel a revolution in computer ‘vision’
9 minutes
video
Ageing and death
Demystifying death – a palliative care specialist’s practical guide to life’s end
4 minutes
video
Future of technology
Is this the future of space travel? Take a luxury ‘cruise’ across the solar system
6 minutes
video
Metaphysics
Why mathematical truths exist with or without minds to consider them
8 minutes
video
Stories and literature
A French Creole folktale nearly lost to time is given new, gorgeously animated life
6 minutes
video
Food and drink
Is a ‘gastronomic society’ dinner the height of decadence, or an act of artistry?
11 minutes