The Hidden Life of Trees (2020): review

My expectations were centred on the forest

The title led me to expect a documentary that would bring me closer to trees through impressive images and Peter Wohlleben’s explanations. Jörg Adolph instead primarily follows the author and his work. Wohlleben’s ideas appear, but the film takes a strong interest in the person, his travels and encounters. That emphasis is crucial to why it only partly reaches me.

The portrait displaces the nature experience I wanted

Wohlleben visits different places and speaks to audiences. Viewers interested in him as an author and communicator can gain something from this. For me, the trees themselves deserved more space. The personal and ideological emphasis carries so much weight that I repeatedly find myself waiting for the nature film I initially imagined.

The images show what might have been possible

I greatly enjoy the nature footage by Jan Haft. These passages allow the film to slow down and focus on the forest. They also strengthen my disappointment with its priorities. I would have liked more time with such images and their accompanying explanations. Instead, the documentary repeatedly returns to Wohlleben as a public figure.

Verdict

The portrait may interest Peter Wohlleben’s fans. I wanted to learn more about the hidden life of trees and too often found the author placed at the centre instead. The beautiful nature images do not compensate for that disappointment for me. As a documentary, it falls short of my expectations. My rating is 4.5 out of 10.