The Amazon: A Vanishing Rainforest. 29 min., 1988. Filmed in the heart of Brazil's Amazon River Basin, this video focuses on the work of the National Institute of Amazon Research, and shows how encroaching development poses a threat to the region's fragile ecosystem. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $50.00.
Amazonia: the Road to the End of the Forest. Two 48 min. videos. This production provides a comprehensive survey of the global catastrophe escalating in the Amazon basin. It includes one of the last interviews with the late Chico Mendez, who was murdered for his outspoken opposition to land clearance. Contact: Filmakers Library. VHS: Sale $495.00, Rent $100.00.
Amazonia: Voices From the Rainforest. 70 min., 1991. Produced by Rosaines Aguirre and Glenn Switkes. This video documents the conflicting interests between indigenous peoples, colonizers and ranchers in the Amazonian rainforest. Includes 92-page resource book. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $95.00, Rent $39.95.
Amazon Journal. 58 min. Produced by Geoffrey O'Connor. Beginning with the assassination of Chico Mendes in 1988 and ending with a return trip to Yanomami Territory in 1995, this documentary illuminates the volatile changes of this era. Contact: Filmakers Library. 16 mm print available. VHS: Sale $395, Rent $75.00.
Ana in the Rainforest. 11 min. (Ages 6 to 10). Produced by Laura Heller. In an animated dream, young Ana takes an imaginary journey to a tropical rainforest where she finds a cure for her sick iguana. Ana also learns about the dangers the forest faces and wakes up determined to help save the rainforests. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $195.00, Rent $25.00.
Arrows Against the Wind. 52 min., 1992. Produced by Tracey Groome. This emotionally moving production documents the story of the Dani and Asmat, two tribes in Irian Jaya. These tribes have been rendered expendable by multinational concerns and the Indonesian government. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $75.00.
Banking on Disaster. 78 min., 1988. Produced by Adrian Cowell. This documentary examines the disastrous consequences of paving a road through the world's largest rainforest. Contact: Bullfrog Films. Sale: $350.00, Rent $90.00.
Battle for the Trees. 57 min. (Ages 10 to Adult). A striking documentary of the destruction of the largest remaining temperate rainforest in North America. The film takes a close look at the impacts of clearcutting, the potential for alternatives, and the questionable role of multinational corporations which are increasingly logging old growth forests. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $95.00, Rent $39.95.
Blowpipes and Bulldozers. 60 min., 1988. Produced by Gaia Films. Describes the story of the Penan peoples of Borneo and their desperate ongoing fight to save their rainforest homelands from the Malaysian logging companies. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $350.00, Rent $85.00
Burning Rivers. 28 min., 1992. Produced by Merran Smith and Michael Simpson. Examines the link between environmental problems and the socioeconomic crises in Guatemala. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $85.00, Rent $35.00.
Chico Mendes: A Voice from the Amazon. 60 min., 1989. Produced by Miranda Smith. A documentary on the life and work of Chico Mendes, including interviews with the rubber-tapper leader conducted shortly before his murder. Contact: Miranda Smith Productions, Inc. P.O. Box 4624, Boulder, CO, 80306-4624. Phone: (303) 546-0880.
The Decade of Destruction. Five videos of 55 min. (Ages 14 to Adult). Adrian Cowell documents the systematic destruction of the Amazonian rainforests from the early 1980s. Each episode follows real life stories of personal tragedy and great courage among people caught in the frontier's web of greed. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $495.00, Rent $250.00.
The Decade of Destruction: Classroom Version. Six videos, 10-19 minutes each. (Ages 11 to 18). This abridged version of Adrian Cowell's series presents the many complex factors leading to what may be this century's worst environmental disaster, the escalating destruction of the Amazonian rainforest. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $350.00, Rent $75.00.
Earth First!: The Struggle for the Australian Rainforest. 58 min., 1990. Extraordinary images of the Australian rainforests are juxtaposed with dramatic footage documenting the efforts to preserve these areas through civil disobedience and demonstrations. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $39.95.
Emerald Forest. 90 min., 1985. Produced by John Bormen. Feature film on the effects of a dam project in the Amazon basin. Available at local video rental stores.
Environment Under Fire: Ecology and Politics in Central America. 28 min., 1988. Produced by The Environmental Project on Central America (EPOCA). Leading environmentalists explore the issues and potential solutions surrounding the environmental crisis in Central America. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $75.00, Rent $39.95.
Falling Giants. 14 min. Through interviews with key players and the work of nature photographer Doug Thron, this video examines the battle to preserve the largest unprotected ancient redwood forest on Earth from the sawmills of the Pacific Lumber Company. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $49.95, Rent $29.95.
Forest for the Future. 25 min. per video. This series of three videos (The Natural Forest, Humans in the Forest, and Decisions for the Future) show the ecological interconnections within the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. Includes a 20-page study/activity guide. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $149.00, Rent $89.00.
The Forest through the Trees. 58 min., 1990 (Ages 12 to Adult). This video provides a sobering look at the battle for Headwaters, the last remaining stands of virgin redwoods in the United States. The film presents competing interests, exposes alternatives to current logging practices, and explores the underlying public policy and resource issues that affect us all. Contact: Green TV. VHS Sale (institution): $95.00, VHS Sale (individual/low-income): $45.00.
A Future for Forests. 25 min., 1993. Directed by J. Edward Milner. Examines the aims of the Forest Stewardship Council to promote responsible forest management. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS: Sale $225.00, Rent $50.00.
In a Time of Headlong Progress. 45 min. Bahian conservationist Cristina Aves is creating a model that balances economic needs with the conservation of the rainforest. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $125.00, Rent $39.95.
In Good Hands: Culture and Agriculture in the Lacandon Rain Forest. 27 min. This video documents the sustainable farming practices of the Lacandon Maya of Chiapas in Mexico, and also examines how culture and mythology influence their traditional methods, now threatened by modernization. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $99.95, Rent $39.95.
Halting the Fires. 52 min., 1991. Brazilian director Octavio Bezerra gives us a socio/political framework to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, where an area larger than the Netherlands is burned each year. Contact: Filmakers Library. VHS: Sale $495.00, Rent $100.00.
Headwaters Forest. Headwaters Forest is the last remaining unprotected grove of old growth redwood trees in the country. This film documents the takeover of Pacific Lumber by Maxxam Corporation and the consequent tripling of logging in the forest with little adherence to environmental standards. It also follows the battle to save these groves of ancient redwoods. Contact: Green TV. VHS: Sale $20.00.
Iracema. 90 min., 1975. This film captures the local outrage of the Trans-Amazon Highway, told through the adventures of an indigenous girl. Portuguese with English subtitles. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS: Sale $395.00, Rent $100.00.
Jaguar Trax. 33 min. (Ages 9 to 14). This video teaches young people a myriad of reasons for saving the last of our tropical rainforests. Study guide included. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $65.00, Rent $39.95.
Jungle Pharmacy. 53 min., 1989. Produced by Better World Society. Dedicated scientists, physicians and environmentalists collaborate with Indian shamans (healers), to reveal how the rainforests can provide medicinal benefits. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS: Sale $295.00, Rent $90.00.
Keepers of the Forest. 28 min., 1986. An award winning exploration of the sustainable agro-ecosystem of the Lacandon Maya of Chiapas Mexico. It shows what tropical rainforests are, what's destroying them, and how indigenous knowledge is an invaluable and endangered resource for using them sustainably. Includes a study guide. Contact: Documentary Projects, 5209 Manila Ave., Oakland, CA 94618-1021. Phone: 510-595-5306; Fax: 510-595-5307.VHS: Sale $95, Rent $39.
Kings of the Jungle. 51 min. The film follows the Boas brothers as they retrace their steps as part of their struggle to save the Amazonian rainforest and its inhabitants. The brothers explored the Amazon for development purposes in 1943 before they realized the ensuing devastation to indigenous cultures. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $75.00.
Listen Caracas. 19 min., 1979. Produced by Carlos Azpurua. A forceful testimony from the last Yescuana Chief on the impacts of colonizers and evangelical missionaries on the Yescuana peoples. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $50.00.
Logging Siberia. 28 min. (Ages 14 to Adult). An introduction to critical resource management issues in the beautiful Siberian Taiga forest, which encompasses an area the size of the entire continental United States. With the dissolution of the Soviet state, thousands of acres are being sold to multinational companies who plan to clear-cut large tracts. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $125.00, Rent $45.00.
Mayan Rainforest Farming. 29 min., 1983. As part of an ecology workshop series, this film describes a centuries-old Mayan model of sustainable rainforest agriculture. Contact: Bullfrog Films. Sale $195.00, Rent $50.00.
The Monk, the Trees and the Concrete Jungle. 26 min., 1993. Focusing on Southeast Asia, this program portrays deforestation and the trade in endangered species. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $175.00, Rent $45.00.
The Moon's Prayer: Wisdom of the Ages. 51 min. Presented from the viewpoint of the indigenous people, this documentary portrays the continuing conflicts over natural resources and shows how tribes in the Pacific Northwest work to protect and restore their lands. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $85.00, Rent $39.95.
A Naturalist in the Rainforest: a Portrait of Alexander Skutch. 54 min. A portrait of one of the great naturalists, this documentary guides us through the Costa Rican rainforest, explains the biology that is unique to this environment, and shows the importance of preserving this reservoir of genetic diversity. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $45.00.
On the Edge of the Forest. 32 min. Economist E.F. Schumacher makes a powerful plea for good planetary behavior amidst a virgin forest in Western Australia. Schumacher reminds us of the efficiency of the perfectly balanced forest ecosystem. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $115.
Our Threatened Heritage. 19 min., 1988. Produced by the National Wildlife Federation. The video portrays the destruction of the rainforests and what actions can be undertaken to halt it. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $29.95.
Our Vanishing Forests. 58 min., 1992. Produced by Arlen Slobodow. This documentary outlines how the U.S. Forest Service has abandoned any trace of conservation ethic and now favors clearcutting practices and follows the interests of the timber industry. The video questions whether we are willing to lose all of our old growth forests, rich in biodiversity and beauty, so that a few can profit. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $80.00. People and Rainforests Slide Show. 15 min., 1991. Produced by Cultural Survival. Introduces students to the indigenous peoples who live in the world's rapidly shrinking rainforests. Contact: Cultural Survival. Sale $125.00, Rent $25.00.
The Price of Progress. 54 min., 1987. Produced by Nicholas Claxton. This provocative film investigates three huge resettlement programs in India, Brazil and Indonesia, all sponsored by the World Bank. Using the World Bank's own documents the film analyzes the social, environmental and economic costs of some of the bank's lending policies. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS Sale $350.00, Rent $75.00.
Rainforests: Proving Their Worth. 30 min., 1990 (High school to Adult). Produced by Interlock Media Associates. This award-winning film explores the promising new movement to market forest products sustainably harvested by local peoples. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $85.00, Rent $35.00.
Rainforest Rap. 6 min., Produced by World Wildlife Fund. Set to rap music, this video portrays the problems facing tropical rainforests and how kids can participate in solutions. Contact: World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th St., N.W., Washington D.C., 20037. Phone: (202) 293-4800. VHS Kit: Sale $29.95.
RAN slide show for Kids. 39 slides, 1993 (Ages 8 to 11). Introduces the biodiversity of rainforests, as well as sustainable and non-sustainable uses of the resources contained within them. Contact: Rainforest Action Network. Sale $50.00, Rent $25.00.
Redwood Summer. 30 min. (Ages 15 to Adult). Produced by Stuart Rickey. This documentary covers a season of public demonstrations and civil disobedience actions against timber corporations by the environmental action group, Earth First! Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $195.00, Rent $45.00.
Runa: Guardians of the Forest. 27 min., 1990. Produced by Ellen Speiser and Dominique Irvine. Portrays how the Quichua peoples of Ecuador utilize traditional knowledge to manage the resources of the rainforest. Contact: UC Extension Media Center, 2000 Center St., Ste. 400, Berkeley, CA 94704. Phone: (510) 642-0460. VHS: Sale $175.00, Rent $50.00.
Saviors of the Forest. 75 min., 1993. Produced by The Camera Guys. Exploring the problems facing the forests of Ecuador, this video documents corporate destruction of the rainforest and offers insight into sustainable uses of the rainforest. Contact: The Camera Guys. Phone: (415) 488-9485. VHS: Sale $19.95.
Secrets of the Coho. 52 min. Produced by Ian McLaren. This documentary follows six of the world's foremost experts on tropical ecology and sustainable development on board an old steamer into the Coho rainforest in Colombia, one of the largest relatively unspoiled rainforests on the planet. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $75.00.
Songbird Story. 15 min. (Ages 6 to 11). In an animated dream, two children fly along with migratory birds on one of their migration paths to the tropical rainforests. They see how quickly the rainforests are being cut down, and learn that there is no time to waste to save the birds from extinction. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $195.00, Rent $25.00.
The Sound of Rushing Water. 42 min., 1973. Produced by Ricardo Tankamash and Bruce Horowitz. In this important film, the Shuar peoples of Ecuador talk about their culture and the formation of a Shuar Federation. Contact: The Cinema Guild. VHS: Sale $295.00, Rent $60.00.
Spaceship Earth. 25 min., 1990 (Ages 10 to Adult). This film offers a unique demonstration of the amazing interdependency between human, natural, and technological systems. Hosted entirely by young people, the video journeys throughout the world to examine critical environmental issues. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $39.95.
Spotted in the Woods. 8.5 min. (Ages 5 to Adult). This program introduces us to the northern spotted owl, a symbol for the preservation of our remaining ancient forests. It reminds us that our choices to consume paper and lumber products may affect the habitat of threatened or endangered species. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $39.95, Rent $29.95.
Sterling Forests: A Quality of Life Choice. 15 min. (Ages 15 to Adult). Produced by Leonardo's Children, Inc. A beautiful presentation of forests, the true costs of development, and what it will take to leave a peaceful and healthy earth to our children. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $39.95, Rent $29.95.
Still Life for Woodpecker? This film incorporates an ancient native myth into the study of forest ecology. In North America we are losing our old growth forests at an alarming rate. Yet these forests are vital to the survival of many species, including the pileated woodpecker. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $250.00, Rent $50.00.
The Temperate Rain Forest. 16 min. (Ages 9 to Adult). Produced by the National Film Board of Canada. This beautifully photographed film examines the characteristics and ecology of the coastal rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. It reminds us of the exquisite beauty of the temperate rainforest and of our obligation to preserve its place in nature. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $335.00, Rent $30.00.
The Vanishing Forest: The Crisis of Tropical Deforestation. 40 min., 1987 (Ages 9 to Adult). This in-depth film-strip, accompanied by an audio-cassette and teacher's guide, describes tropical rainforests, the threats they face and the efforts to save them. Contact: Knowledge Unlimited, Inc., P.O. Box 52, Madison, WI 53701. Phone: 800-356-2303.
A Walk in the Rainforest. 11 min. (Ages 4 to 11). Produced by the Young Naturalist Foundation. In the Chan Chich Wildlife Reserve of Belize, children experience the beauty of a rainforest environment, with mahogany trees, toucans, monkeys and leaf-cutter ants, and understand better what is at risk. Contact: Bullfrog Films. VHS: Sale $195.00, Rent $25.00.
When the Salmon Runs Dry. 51 min. (Ages 14 to Adult). Allowing competing interests to discuss their perspectives, this documentary examines the impact of human development on the salmon population of the Pacific Northwest. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $85.00, Rent $39.95.
Wilderness: the Last Stand. 53 min. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, this documentary investigates the status of America's last remaining virgin forests. It examines the impact of U.S. Forest Service policies, and the devastating harm caused by clearcutting practices. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $95.00, Rent $45.00.
Yanomami: Keepers of the Flame. 58 min., 1992. A documentary of an expedition by a group of journalists, anthropologists, and doctors who journeyed to the Venezuelan rainforests to visit with the Ashetoeateri village, a Yanomami community never contacted by the outside world. Contact: The Video Project.VHS: Sale $65.00, Rent $39.95.
You Can't Grow Home Again. 58 min., 1990 (Ages 8-14). Produced by Children's Television Workshop for 3-2-1. Designed as an introduction for children to the rainforests, this program teaches basic life science concepts, including biodiversity, species identification, and the importance of rainforests in preventing global warming. Includes study and activity guide. Contact: The Video Project. VHS: Sale $29.95.