Backdrop fallback

The Secret of Trees

The Secret of Trees

Share

The Secret of Trees

2013

0h 4m

5.0(1 votes)

Documentary

Overview

13-year-old inventor Aidan has discovered that trees use a mathematical formula to gather sunlight in crowded forests. Now he wonders why we don't collect solar energy the same way.

Links & Resources

Website IMDbView

Social & External

Production Companies

The people behind it

Cast & crew

2 featured cast members

Starring

Aidan Dwyer

Self

Rosamond Kinzler

Self

Creative team

Directed by: Albert Maysles
Produced by: S.L. Carragher

Similar Movies

Maasai Daughters

Maasai Daughters

Short documentary about the lives of three girls and the women who rescued them from retrogressive cultural practices in their own Maasai community at the AIC Girls School and Rescue Center in Kajiado, Kenya. It is an intimate portrait of these women as they sacrifice everything to make a stand against female genital mutilation and early forced marriage happening within their own culture.

More for the Astronauts

More for the Astronauts

Voleurz's third movie, with skiing, snowboarding and more goofiness from the Voleurz crew.

Down the Danube to Vienna

Danube upstream from Vienna, with its images of monasteries and castles. It's hard for an American to realize the age of civilization in Europe. This Burton Holmes travelogue hints at it.

Eagle Man

Eagle Man

Latvia is home to almost one fifth of the world’s population of the lesser spotted eagle, yet their number is endangered. Uģis Bergmanis is one of Latvia’s best-known ornithologists, and he does his best to save the eagles in Latvia. He also has another passion – he hunts wolves. He can sit for hours in freezing temperatures until meeting his prey eye to eye. There are many stories in this man. And some of them are going to be told.

Market This!: Queer Radicals Respond to Gay Assimilation

Market This!: Queer Radicals Respond to Gay Assimilation

While global capitalism is a defining feature of our times, many engage in an anti-capitalist resistance. MARKET THIS! is a timely documentary that explores the desire for radical politics and culture in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Two-Spirited and Transgender community. The documentary began in 1999 after the Queeruption gathering in New York City. During workshops and caucuses and through discussion and entertainment, participants came together to explore ways that this community can sustain and validate itself without supporting a system that actively exploits poor people, women, People of Color, g/b/l/TS/t people. This video takes the dialogue from Queeruption one step further. MARKET THIS! considers both the successes as well as the problems which resulted most visibly (and ironically) from a lack of involvement and presence of People of Color and Transgender people.

In Old Granada

A tour of Granada offers glimpses into the daily life of the 70,000 Granadans who once inhabited the city. Crossing the city from the Alhambra hill, you'll encounter churches, fountains, the Darro River, donkeys wandering the streets, gypsy women, courtyards, archways, and women in their traditional mantillas. The city center, with areas like Reyes Católicos, Plaza Nueva, and Cuesta de Gomérez, is easily recognizable, as are the Sacromonte caves, where Holmes found gypsy women who were "less picturesque" than he had expected.

Baishanzu: The Mysterious Realm

Baishanzu: The Mysterious Realm

Exploring the rich biodiversity and breathtaking natural landscapes of Baishanzu, China, the documentary takes viewers deep into one of the region’s most remarkable ecosystems. Filmed in stunning 8K, it captures the fascinating lives and interactions of plants, animals, and fungi throughout the changing seasons. Beyond showcasing the area’s unique natural beauty, the film also highlights ongoing efforts to protect biodiversity, preserve fragile ecosystems, and promote a sustainable relationship between people and nature.

Vibrant Aviary

A short travelling documentary exploring Ibarbo Park, a family recreation and educational destination in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Home to nearly a hundred varieties of birds, a mini zoo, animal-feeding experiences, and colorful fantasy-themed photo spots, the park offers a vibrant world where recreation and education come together. Created by a group of 11th-grade Film Production students from BOPKRI 1 Vocational High School Yogyakarta, the documentary captures Ibarbo Park during a particular moment in its development—when its now-open Kota Kartun (Cartoon City) area was still being promoted as “coming soon.” Following Neta as the cheerful host as she guides the audience through the largest souvenir center and aviary in Yogyakarta. Completed on November 1, 2024, this unreleased short documentary remains a snapshot of Ibarbo Park as it was during production, preserving a small piece of the attraction’s history before its continued transformation.

Darwin: Doorway to Australia

Darwin: Doorway to Australia

Original archival synopsis: The Japanese bombed Darwin many times during World War II because it was strategically important target number one in their attack on the Australian mainland. Before the war, Darwin was little known except to the crews of pearling luggers and cattlemen. During the war it become an important air base which contributed much to the success of General MacArthur's island-hopping campaign against Japan. Today Darwin is an aerial port of call for all planes travelling either from Europe or the Far East to Australia. The Darwin touchdown is, in fact, for many travellers the first sight of the Australian continent. The film shows Darwin as it is today (1949), much ravaged by Japanese attack during World War II, but already showing signs of building activity and general recovery. The film indicates the general life of the town and also explains the plan which will make Darwin a model city of which Australia will be very proud.

Freestyle: A Footbag Story

Freestyle: A Footbag Story

Featuring members of the Big Add Posse, 'Freestyle: A Footbag Story' is an award winning documentary following the origins of Freestyle Footbag, a little known sport which grew out of Hacky Sack circles in the late 80s and 90s.

Made in Bletchley

Made in Bletchley

Made in Bletchley is a short documentary portrait of Bletchley Boxing Community Hub, a grassroots club in Milton Keynes where discipline, dignity, and belonging are sparred for as hard as any title. Through the eyes of its founder, its young boxers, and the families in the corner, the film captures a community that refuses to let its kids fall through the cracks. What begins as a gym becomes a second home — a place where identity is built punch by punch, and where the ring is the smallest part of what's really being fought for.

I am a Poem

I am a Poem

Portrait made for the 70th birthday of Rosa von Praunheim by his close collaborator.

Facing Death on the Blumlisalp

Facing Death on the Blumlisalp

...where the whole expedition, by the breaking of an ice cornice on the summit, escaped death by a hair's breadth. The miraculous escape is recorded on the screen.

Scaling the Jungfrau

Scaling the Jungfrau

A record of the ascent of the Jungfrau by Frederick Burlingham accompanied by four mountain guides. The film starts with panoramics of the Eiger North Face from Kleine Scheidegg. The party begin the climb from the Jungfraujoch Station crossing the Jungfrau Firn and reaching the summit of the Jungfrau by the steep Roththal Sattel. Frederick Burlingham was a traveller cinematographer and one of the mountain film pioneers. Continuing the mountain film tradition established by Ormiston-Smith, Burlingham filmed several mountaineering films largely in Switzerland, taking mountain film in a new direction of immediacy and perceived peril. In the early history of factual filmmaking, Burlingham played a substantial role in developing the related genres of the mountaineering and the exploration film.

Canberra Today and Tomorrow

Canberra Today and Tomorrow

Canberra, the National Capital of Australia, is a city which has been planned; a place where modern living is enriched by a lovely setting. But the hustling young city of today is expanding and developing, and there is emerging the pattern of the proud city of tomorrow.

The Making of Record of Lodoss War

Mini-documentary covering the making of Record of Lodoss War (1990).

Gender Outlaw

Gender Outlaw

A documentary profiling transgender athlete Tyler Wilde and his story with the Gillis beach Bodysurfing Association. It navigates the tumultuous waters that Tyler Wilde has had to move through as he searched for big surf, his true self, and his chosen family.

Divine Divas

Divine Divas

Eight iconic performers of the first generation of Brazilian transvestite artists go on stage to celebrate their 50th career jubilee. The film depicts the human, personal dimension behind these icons, deconstructing gender stereotypes.

The Real Full Monty

The Real Full Monty

A daring group of male celebrities volunteer to bare all to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer testing and research.

Point of View: A Retrospective of Joe Sedelmaier

Point of View: A Retrospective of Joe Sedelmaier

As one of his generation's quintessential Mad Men, television commercial director Joe Sedelmaier's work was iconic, dynamic, and instantly recognizable--some twenty to thirty years later, people are still wondering 'Where's the beef?” He turned the advertising world on its brain-damaged head by casting offbeat non-actors in still-unforgettable spots. His brilliant, frequently hysterical commercials for Wendy's, Alaska Airlines, Federal Express and others were snappy slices of cultural quirk that tapped into the Cold War-fearing, corporate workaholic zeitgeist of the '70s and '80s with a sense of humor that cracked billions of smiles, sold billions of burgers, and sped up the default rhythm of time-based media.

Recommended Movies

Seven Up!

Seven Up!

A group of British children aged 7 from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects. The filmmakers plan to re-interview them at 7 year intervals to track how their lives and attitudes change as they age.

American Teen

American Teen

A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.

Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis

Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis

Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.

Interstellar: Nolan's Odyssey

Interstellar: Nolan's Odyssey

A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.

Above Majestic

Above Majestic

A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch

For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20

An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

28 Up

28 Up

Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return

This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.

All the Empty Rooms

All the Empty Rooms

A journalist and a photographer set out to memorialize the bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings.

Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red

Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red

A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story

Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

A Toxic Love Story

A Toxic Love Story

A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.

S4: The Bob Lazar Story

S4: The Bob Lazar Story

Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity

Roundhay Garden Scene

Roundhay Garden Scene

The earliest surviving motion-picture film, and believed to be one of the very first moving images ever created, was shot by Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince using the LPCCP Type-1 MkII single-lens camera. It was taken on paper-based photographic film in the garden of Oakwood Grange, the Whitley family house in Roundhay, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire (UK), on 14 October 1888. The film shows Adolphe Le Prince (Le Prince’s son), Mrs. Sarah Whitley (Le Prince’s mother-in-law), Joseph Whitley, and Miss Harriet Hartley walking around in circles, laughing to themselves, and staying within the area framed by the camera. Roundhay Garden Scene is often associated with a recording speed of around 12 frames per second and runs for about 2 to 3 seconds.

Howard

Howard

Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye

Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.

Come See Me in the Good Light

Come See Me in the Good Light

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.