Many’s the time I’ve walked through a forest, admiring the trees and the occasional bird or squirrel – maybe even a deer if I’m lucky. You probably have too.
But there is so much more to see and know. The new nature documentary “Heart of an Oak” was created to show us what is going on, in incredible detail in, above, on and around a magnificent oak tree. Through the lens of the camera, we experience a day, a night, and the four seasons in the lives of the tree and all the animals that depend on it for so much.
Although the documentary is the product of human ingenuity, there are no people, no voices, no trace of humanity that interrupts the flow of nature doing what it evolved to do. There are three instances in during which human song is introduced to punctuate the action. Whether this enhances or detracts from the film is in the ear of the listener. I could have done without them.
The tale begins with a slow zoom in on a majestic spreading oak, perched on the bank of a beaver pond. It is early summer. Moving in closer, we are introduced to oak weevils. These are cute little creatures that drill into the caps of growing acorns and deposit an egg that will become a larva during the summer and then, after a winter underground, will emerge as the next generation of weevil.
But that’s only the beginning. Many creatures live in the tree – birds, red squirrels, mice, other insects. We view them as they go through their lives over the four seasons, both ignoring and interacting with each other.
Then there are the visitors: deer, wild pigs, badgers, birds of prey – all finding their food either in the acorns of the tree, or in the case of the birds of prey and a tree-climbing snake, the residents of the tree.
If you’ve seen the old Walt Disney Nature series, you will recall how the images of nature were edited together to tell a story of everyday life, survival, and renewal. This is the same approach, but without the narration explaining what’s going on. Expect no “red of tooth and claw” here: the predators – even a haplass frog – surely must eat to live, but not on camera! So there are close calls but even the weevils escape.
“Heart of an Oak is a visual extravaganza, beautifully cut together and except perhaps for the wild pigs and the badger, featuring animals we are well familiar with. At 80 minutes, it might be a bit long for the little ones, but the antics of the squirrels, mice, and baby birds should hold their interest in smaller bites. As for the adults: enjoy this escape into a world beyond ourselves.
Credits
Directors: Laurent Charbonnier, Michel Seydoux
Writers: Michel Fessler, Laurent Charbonnier, Michel Saeydoux
Producers: Barthelemy Fougea, Michel Saydoux
Cinematographer: Mathieu Giombini
Editor: Sylvie Lager
Music: Cyrille Aufort
Runtime: One hour, 20 minutes
Availability: Select UK cinemas beginning July 12; video download beginning Aug. 12
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