Private Project

Making an Ancient Forest - Kalkalpen National Park

Making an Ancient Forest - Kalkalpen National Park
(2015 I 52min I 4K I 5.1)

Forests are far more complex than previously imagined – as revealed in Rita Schlamberger’s latest film, "Making an Ancient Forest - Kalkalpen National Park".

The documentary, filmed in 4K, travels deep into the remote forests of the Kalkalpen National Park in Austria – the largest area of wilderness in the Alps. Abandoned and unmanaged by man for close to a quarter of a century, the forest’s dramatic cycle of growth and decay now rules the landscape. What appears at first to be devastation and destruction is in fact part of the fundamental process of the forest’s regeneration and transformation back to its natural, primeval state.

The film, three years in the making, reveals the highly complex partnerships among plants, insects and animals, as well as the evolutionary creativity and intelligence of trees as they communicate with one another and respond to moment-by-moment stimuli. Their genius is attributed to one of the greatest collaborations in the history of life: a partnership with fungi.

One of the most salient changes in the forest is however, the return of the lynx. After 115 years of absence, the feline’s illusive presence is a testimony to nature’s power of revival and a reassurance that the bold conservation efforts in the National Park are slowly, but surely, contributing to Making an Ancient Forest.

  • Rita Schlamberger
    Director
  • Jan Hosek
    Writer
  • Rita Schlamberger
    Writer
  • Michael Schlamberger
    Producer
  • Andrew Naylor
    Editor
  • Omer Sacic
    Editor
  • Alexander Bresgen
    Composer
  • Martin Rohrmoser
    Dubbing Editor + Mix
  • Anita Pfeffinger
    Production Manager
  • Jiri Petr
    Camera
  • Michael Schlamberger
    Camera
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    wildlife + nature
  • Runtime:
    52 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2015
  • Country of Origin:
    Austria
  • Country of Filming:
    Austria
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Rita Schlamberger

Rita Schlamberger is an internationally acclaimed natural history film director and producer from Austria.

For the past 23 years, Rita, who co-founded ScienceVision Filmproduktions with her husband, Michael, has produced and directed many award-winning, blue-chip natural history programming for major broadcasters such as BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, ZDF, NDR, NHK, THIRTEEN WNET, ORF, Servus TV, and many others.

Rita has a PhD in biology from the University of Graz, Austria and is a licensed pilot and a certified scuba diver, which are handy skills to have when it comes to filming nature.

Rita’s latest film, "Making an Ancient Forest - Kalkalpen National Park" brings to light the extraordinary natural processes of a primeval forest and the survival strategies of its inhabitants when left alone to restore itself back to its original, wild state.

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