Raised a Presbyterian, Bob Brown’s path is more practically pagan.

Son of a policeman, Bob Brown spent time in prison for his protests against environmental destruction.

Bob Brown doesn’t worship but embraces the natural world, with all its awe and wonder, a faith in its restorative powers, a faith that demands defending against the heresy of old forest destruction, and the damning consequences of damming.

THE GIANTS is part biopic part botany lesson and shows again the extraordinary depth of talent in our local documentary filmmakers. Laurence Billiet and Rachael Antony have created a bold, beautiful, crystalline, complete bio-botanical binary experience.

Liken this film to lichen, a composite organism that arises from one species living among filaments of another in a mutual relationship.

THE GIANTS interweaves the story of Bob Brown, a giant of the environmental movement with the giants of the forest, Eucalyptus Regnans, Huon Pine, Tasmanian Myrtle Beech.

Pictorially, Alex le Guillou creates immersive cloud point animation from 3D forest scans which are awe inspiring, while narration from a myriad of international scientists and experts give fascinating facts and figures.

THE GIANTS is, fundamentally, about the web of life, the fundamental inter connectivity of all life forms on this planet and the vital importance plants and trees and forests have.

They provide canopy, habitat, water and oxygen production. The survival of the forest is the key to human survival. Protection of the forests is the easiest proactive way to combat climate change.

THE GIANTS makes a thunderous wake up call for those of us still sleepwalking into the nightmare of deforestation.

Tree hugging has become a desultory, derogatory term, but this film shows that hugging a tree, embracing trunk and branches and bark, is honouring and celebrating life itself, physically, spiritually and culturally.