Audiences are transported into the heart of the rainforest for an unforgettable journey that brings to life the forests and the biological treasures they contain. Filmed in Australia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, and Malaysia, Tropical Rainforest is a global film that examines the long evolution of the rain forest, the rapid and recent destruction of this habitat as a consequence of human intervention, and the scientific efforts to understand the tropical rain forests even as they disappear. The film captures the incredible diversity of species that have evolved throughout the long history of tropical biology—insects, gaudy frogs, exotic plants and flowers. Species have formed interdependent relationships, all of which are dependent on the trees. With the loss of the forests, thousands of these species will become extinct before they can be discovered.
“…spectacular – a hypnotic blast of near-reality from one of the least-seen corners of the earth.”
– Los Angeles Weekly
“…an exceptionally pleasurable and articulate argument for leaving the planet’s green treasure troves undisturbed.”
– Pioneer Press, St. Paul
Distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films
Produced by Shedd Productions Inc. for the Science Museum of Minnesota
Made possible with the support of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The National Science Foundation and the Jostens Foundation
Release date: 1992
Runtime: 38 minutes
Format: 15/70, Dome-customized 15/70