Understory
Understory
- Director: Su Rynard
- 2026 In production
- 90 min
Understory tells the story of three scientific renegades Suzanne Simard – a forester, Robin Wall Kimmerer – a restoration ecologist, and Paco Calvo – a philosopher, who listen and learn from plants. Outliers in their fields, they have pushed boundaries and persevered through controversy. Today the world is finally waking up to their message.
With her discovery that trees communicate and collaborate Simard is set on revolutionizing forestry industry practices globally. Kimmerer reveals how the revelations of plant science framed in an Indigenous worldview create ecological compassion and change. Calvo’s extraordinary experiments challenge the perception that we humans are the only privileged, intelligent life form on earth.
Many people view plants simply as a green background for human activity. For centuries dominant cultures have used nature as something to enjoy, exploit and control – ultimately endangering the conditions that make all life on earth possible. That if we were to appreciate plants as the highly evolved creatures they actually are, could this lead us out of the ecological crisis we currently face What if we were to recognize the legal rights of plants as we do humans? Professor Teresa Vicente and Tribal Attorney Frank Bibeau show us the way.
Today there is a growing movement to radically rethink the relationship human beings have with nature, and changing our relationship with plant life is key. By sharing the battles and ultimately the success, Understory offers an old new perspective that has the power to change how we see the world and our place in it.
With a striking visual approach, the film directed by Canadian filmmaker Su Rynard combines nature time-lapse cinematography by Garath Whyte, macro and ultraviolet imagery by Don Komarechka, and animations by Noah Conti, revealing processes invisible to the human eye and opening a window into the hidden world beneath our feet.
The production is led by executive producers Nadine Pequeneza and Su Rynard, alongside producers Carles Brugueras and Marieke van den Bersselaar. Cinematography is by Sean Stiller, editing by Caroline Christie, original music by Claudia Baulies, and sound design by Cora Delgado.
An international production that blends science, nature, and philosophical reflection, Understory invites audiences to rethink humanity’s place within the living world and the intricate networks that sustain life on Earth.
