Dir: Matthew Brady | Bio Doc, 90′
How do we protect wild animals when there is no ‘wild’ left. Can the world be saved when so much has already been lost? This timely documentary follows the scientific experts on the frontlines of conservation as they seek to answer this question.
From the cloud forests of Rwanda to the California coast, wildlife conservation is not without its challenges. However, there may just be the solution to finding a sustainable balance between our delicate natural world and the demands of a growing human population.
As we keep being told, the earth is rapidly approaching a sixth mass extinction event, with a quarter of all species under threat. But, there is still hope. Armed with a radical new vision known as ‘re-wilding’, the film takes a spectacular journey across six continents to study this bold new approach to conservation and its efforts to restore nature by rebuilding the intricate systems of life that nourish wildlife and recreate an environment where flora and fauna can flourish.
And the good news is that ‘re-wilding’ is well underway. Rwanda has been the most successful nation in rebuilding nature and a thriving ecotourist industry from the ashes of tragedy. And this was largely as a result of the recent conflicts which tore the population apart and created hunger. In order to value and nurture conservation projects the locals have to benefit from them with an economic status that satisfies their ongoing needs. Animals have been bred in zoos all over Europe and then returned to their native habitat in Rwanda Africa.
Directed and produced by Matthew Brady and narrated by Meryl Streep, in dulcet tones, all this unfolds against a backcloth of nature photography that focuses particularly on rhinos and gorillas. Despite the often gushy Hollywood style trailer there are some worthwhile nuggets of information to be garnered here.
Escape from Extinction: Rewilding is the sequel to the 2021documentary Escape from Extinction and carries on the series’ vital message of preserving the natural world and saving species on the brink of extinction. Rewilding features contributions from leading global conservation experts including Dr John Paul Rodriguez, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission and Dr Onnie Byers, chair of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and Robin Ganzert, CEO of the American Humane Society. @MeredithTaylor
Escape from Extinction: Rewilding | from 22 April 2025 for World Earth Day