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Garajonay. The Ancient Forest of Europe

Twenty million years ago, endless laurel forests covered the southern part of Europe. Since then, the majority of them have disappeared. Yet four hundred kilometres away from the largest desert on Earth, one of these magnificent ancient forests survives to this day, giving a home to animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world as La Gomera giant lizard or the Bolle's laurel pigeon. Garajonay National Park is a true hidden paradise on the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, where wildlife thrives without human intervention. Every corner offers a visual spectacle and unparalleled biodiversity found nowhere else on the planet. This ancient forest is a testimony of adaptation and resilience in a constantly changing world.

  • Carlos Perez Romero
    Director
  • Javier Ortega Martinez
    Writer
  • Carlos Perez Romero
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Television
  • Genres:
    wildlife, nature, ecology, forest, turist
  • Runtime:
    50 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 20, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Spain
  • Country of Filming:
    Spain
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Wildlife Vaasa Festival-International Nature Film Festival
    Vaasa
    Finland
    September 25, 2024
    Finland
    Honorable Mention
  • MOUNTAIN - NATURE - ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL - 34 MML-Video and Photo
    MOUNTAIN - NATURE - ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL - 34 MML-Video and Photo
    Spain
    May 17, 2024
    Official Selection
  • International Tourism Film Festival Africa
    Victoria West
    South Africa
    June 11, 2024
    Africa
    SILVER AWARD WINNER
  • International Air Film Festival El Yelmo 2024
    Jaén
    Spain
    June 7, 2024
    Official selection
  • Bio Film Festival
    Sospirolo
    Italy
    August 30, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Ekotopfilm
    Bratislava
    Slovakia
    October 28, 2024
    Slovakia
    Official selection
  • Wildlife Conservation Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 24, 2024
    North America Premiere
    Official selection
  • Finisterra Brazil Film Art & Tourism Festival
    Porto Seguro
    Brazil
    June 22, 2025
    Brazil
    Award Winner
Distribution Information
  • 3boxmedia
    Distributor
    Country: Germany
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Carlos Perez Romero

Producer and director of 1080 Wildlife, a producer of wild nature documentaries located in Spain.
He has produced and / or directed more than 15 nature and wildlife documentaries in recent years. His productions are broadcast by some of the most prominent television channels and platforms in the world: Arte, France TV, RAI, RTVE, SRF, HRT, RTP, TG4, CCTV, EBS, Roku or Amazon Prime Video. He was elected best director at the Kolkata International Wildlife Festival, recently his documentary The Island of the Hippopotamus has been awarded in New York and India as the best documentary shot in Africa in 2020. Adenex Award 2017, distinguished by the Montijo City Council for his career as documentary director in 2018 and Avuelapluma Film Award in 2019. His productions accumulate more than 130 international awards.

FILMOGRAPHY:
2013 THE VOICE OF THE FOREST SPAIN
2014 A SKY OF BIRDS ENGLAND-SPAIN
2014 SPRING THE RETURN OF LIFE SPAIN- PORTUGAL
2015 ECUATONATURA EQUATORIAL GUINEA
2016 COMING FROM HEAVEN SPAIN
2016 DEHESA SPAIN- PORTUGAL
2017 A WINTER IN THE SOUTH OF SPAIN
2017 JERTE WILD LIFE IN THE VALLEY SPAIN
2018 SALVAJES SPAIN
2018 ICELAND THE NEWBORN ISLAND ICELAND
2018 I AM THE BEST SPAIN
2019 THE BIRDS OF THE COLD SPAIN-FINLAND
2019 SONS OF SALIEGA SPAIN
2020 LA JAYONA A NEW WORLD SPAIN
2020 THE ISLAND OF HIPPO GUINEA-BISSAU
2020 QUEENS OF ORANGO GUINEA-BISSAU
2022 ROOKIES SPAIN
2022 WILDLIFE IN THE BIJAGOS GUINEA-BISSAU ISLANDS
2022 EXTREMADURA THE NATURAL PARADISE SPAIN
2023 MONFRAGUE NATIONAL PARK SPAIN
2023 GARAJONAY THE ANCIENT FOREST OF EUROPE
2024 THE ISLAND OF THE GIANTS MOTHERS
2024 ICELAND THE AWAKENING OF LIFE
2025 THE STRONGEST ON THE SAVANNAH

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