The film begins in motion, carrying us into the Hoh Rainforest--one of the last living cathedrals of old-growth trees in the Pacific Northwest. Immersed in its quiet grandeur, we encounter filmmaker Minda Martin, who shares why this forest holds such deep personal meaning. Upon leaving, the world fractures: through layered sound and composite imagery, the film reveals the twin pressures reshaping these ancient woods--drought and wildfire fueled by climate change, and the ongoing drive for resource extraction.

Director's Statement

Old Growth began as a poetic tribute to the Hoh Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest, a place I’ve long considered a spiritual sanctuary. When I returned a year after filming to record sound, I witnessed climate-fueled fires nearby and clear-cut slopes encroaching on this ancient ecosystem. The project shifted from an ode to an elegy. Slow, patient takes mirror the forest’s timescale, while composited images reveal its accelerating transformations. The sound design reflects the deep resonance of old-growth soil, the violence of fire, and the hollow quiet left by clear-cutting.

Category: Experimental, Festival Alum, Short.
Themes: Environment.

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