Marin-based writer and director Lisa Landers—whose award-winning documentary, Giants Rising, has been on tour and is screening Oct. 14 at the Rio Theatre—is eager to share her excitement about how well the redwoods “play” far beyond California.
“It’s been really cool to see how these trees resonate with people in places where redwoods don’t even exist,” she says.
Originally from New York, Landers has been across the globe in her filmmaking career. Today, however, she finds herself living in a small Northern California redwood grove, where the towering trees inspire her work and daily life.
Landers has always felt a deep connection to redwoods, one that dates back to her childhood. A visit to Muir Woods when she was just 12 years old left an impression she would never forget. “I always knew I’d make a documentary about redwoods,” she reflects.
That early spark of curiosity was fanned into a flame during a pivotal assignment when she was tasked with covering the story of Julia Butterfly Hill. The famous environmental activist made headlines when she lived in a redwood tree for an astounding 738 days, from Dec. 10, 1997, to Dec. 18, 1999.
Hill’s bold act of civil disobedience was a stand against the Pacific Lumber Company’s plan to cut down the tree and the surrounding forest. Her “home” during this protest was a 6-by-8-foot platform, 180 feet above the forest floor. Hill’s activism led to a landmark agreement with the Pacific Lumber Company to protect her beloved tree, Luna, and the surrounding area. As part of the deal, the company paid $50,000 to Humboldt State University for forestry research and established a 200-foot buffer zone around the tree to ensure its protection.
Landers recalls climbing into the canopy to interview Hill. “It really drove home just how much these trees move people on a deep level,” she says. “From leaving your home state to live among them, to dedicating years of your life and taking incredible risks, it’s amazing to witness how far people are willing to go to protect these giants.”
Hill’s story ignited a passion in Landers, pushing her to explore the long history of redwood activism. “People have been putting their lives on the line for these trees since logging first began in the redwoods,” she adds.
By 2018, after covering various facets of the redwood story for years, Landers was ready to weave the pieces together into a single, cohesive narrative. She saw the bigger picture: the redwoods, their profound relationship with humans, and the ongoing movement to protect them. Central to Giants Rising is California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the state’s oldest park and, in many ways, the birthplace of the movement to save the redwoods.
A key storyline in the film is told through the voice of Susan Blake, a state park interpreter who spent 16 years at Big Basin. Blake was living there when the devastating fire of 2020 swept through the park, destroying everything in its path. “She lost her home, her habitat, everything,” Landers says. “We chronicle her story, and it became a centerpiece of the film.” At the time, Landers was working on a short film about the endangered marbled murrelet, a bird species that lives in the redwoods, for the park’s visitor center. Halfway through shooting, she received the call that Big Basin was burning.
Landers and her team returned to the park just a month after the fire, and the documentary took an unexpected turn. “It was one of those moments where you think, ‘This wasn’t the plan, but here we go.’ It became such an important story to tell.”
The film also features a redwood geneticist who grew up exploring Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where he now studies the rare and mysterious albino redwoods. Giants Rising highlights not only the majesty of these ancient trees but also their remarkable “superpowers”—from their ability to capture carbon and transport water to their resilience to fire and their intricate underground networks that allow them to share resources.
But the filmgoes beyond showcasing the redwoods’ natural wonders. It delves into the profound connections between redwoods and humans, offering insights into how these giants can enhance physical and emotional well-being while providing clues about resilience and longevity.
“I hope viewers leave the film feeling more connected—not just to redwoods, but to forests everywhere,” says Landers. “And I hope that connection leads to more support for conservation efforts.”
She passionately believes that forests hold tremendous benefits for human well-being. “Spending time in the woods impacts our mental, physical, and emotional health—and even our collective well-being. We’re nicer to each other after we’ve been in the forest. We’re more collaborative and compassionate.”
In Giants Rising, Landers speaks with a social psychologist who explains these very effects. “The forest has a way of grounding us
Giants Rising is screening at 7pm on Oct. 14 at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, narrated by Michael Franti, co-hosted by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, and followed by a discussion with writer and director Lisa Landers.
