Amate: The Great Fig Tree
(1980)
Journeying deep into the tropical forests of Belize, this Partridge Films production delivers a technically stunning account of life both in and around the giant fig tree, known to the local Native Indians as Amate. Towering over the landscape, these massive structures sustain myriad creatures - providing food, shelter and, for some, a whole ecosystem.
Howler monkeys roar to rival troops across the river, as iguanas desperately scramble away from predators and boa constrictors silently stalk their prey in the moonlight. Memorable footage also delves into the minute world of the fig wasp, the tiny insect upon which this colossal tree is utterly dependent. Outstanding macro-photography reveals the instinctive behaviour of these minute wasps laying eggs within the fig fruit and explores the extraordinary intimate relationship between tree and wasp - a pinnacle of co-evolution.
Widely acclaimed, Amate: The Great Fig Tree is a thoroughly absorbing portrayal of a complex ecosystem, its incredible technical photography bringing to life an extraordinarily beautiful and vivid world.
