“Canopy Stories” – 12 films, 12 stories, 12 iconic/majestic/enraptured Portland Trees.
Produced at NW Documentary and presented as part of The Portland Circuit, a unique partnership between the Northwest Film Center, Oregon Film, Cinema21, Clinton Street Theater and The Hollywood Theatre.
Every tree has a story. They tell the stories of families, of neighborhoods, of transformations long forgotten. Tree stories are community stories.
Canopy Stories is NW Documentary’s first anthology film project featuring 12 stories made by 11 Portland filmmakers. Each film focuses on a specific tree to tell a story. The stories range from activists camping in trees to strangers caring for the ghosts of pioneers, from globe trekking botanists in search of rare specimens to everyday citizens transforming their neighborhood into an urban oasis.
The stories of our urban forest are the stories of our city. A single tree can offer a perspective outside our own. These living, breathing beings stand a silent vigil as decades and even centuries pass. Once you know the stories of the trees you will never see the city in the same way.
This documentary will be presented in two parts over four nights, all screenings start at 7pm.
Each screening will be followed with a themed discussion and Q&A with local environmental and community groups.
PART I – 85 mins
Hollywood Theatre, July 8th
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& Cinema21, July 10th
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PART II – 98 mins
Clinton Street Theater, July 9th
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& Northwest Film Center at the Whitsell Auditorium July 11th
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PART I July 8 (Hollywood Theatre) & July 10 (Cinema21)
Canopy Stories, Part I, 85 min.:
- Rosa’s Tree by David-Paul B. Hedberg
- A Lone Pioneer by Chelsea Smith
- One Magnificent Maple by Todd Baize
- Palm Portland by Kia Anne Geraths
- Tree Death by Sam Gaty
- Giants by Luz Carasa
- Heroes and Villains by David-Paul B. Hedberg
PART II July 9 (Clinton Street Theater) & July 11 (Northwest Film Center at The Whitsell Auditorium)
Canopy Stories Part II, 98 min.:
- Rosa’s Tree by David-Paul B. Hedberg
- The Seven-Thousand Trees of Dharma Rain by Christopher Baier
- No More Dope Parties by Cambria Matlow
- The Lost Redwood by Jesse Andrew Clark
- The Activist Tree by Zoe Gieringer
- 82nd & Verdant by James Krzmarzick
- Heroes and Villains by David-Paul B. Hedberg
Each screening will be followed with a themed discussion and Q&A with local environmental and community groups.
These speakers include (subject to change):
July 8
Vivek Shandas, Chair of Urban Forestry Commission and PSU Professor
Renee Meyers, Forest Park Conservancy
Micah Meskel, Audubon Society of PortlandJuly 9
Eli Spevak, Orange Splot LLC
Nik Dasai, PP&R Urban Forestry
Katya Reyna, DepaveJuly 10
Ben Carr, Brett Schulz Architects
Sean Hogan, Cistus Nursery
Ethan Eisner, PDX Youth Climate Council (still waiting for the final confirmation)July 11,
Surabhi Mahajan, Friends of Trees
Duncan Hwang, APANO
Tina Osterink, City of Gresham
Full synopsis of each film is available on the Canopy Stories’ website.