The Guardians

Year
2018
Country
USA
Duration:
54 mins

Overview

In the tiny village of Donaciano Ojeda in Michoacan, Mexico, townspeople decide in bi-monthly community meetings to sanction any neighbor who cuts down a tree without permission. That’s because the forests surrounding the town are the winter home of the Monarch butterfly. The branches of the local oyamel tree are draped in the orange and black of thousands of hibernating Monarchs’ wings as the insects cluster together for warmth. Villagers have turned from logging to growing avocados and raising trout in order to salvage the precious trees, which they now fiercely protect. But forest restoration is complicated. Families still need wood to cook with, and many newly planted saplings won’t survive a rainstorm. The Guardians is about a community realizing it’s worth defending the forest from themselves to leave something for the next generation of people and butterflies.

Production Team

Director
Ben Crosbie Tessa Moran

Festival Screenings

Featured in the 2018 Mountainfilm Festival.

Stream Film Online

This film is available online using the following streaming platforms:

We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Allow Cookies", you consent to our use of cookies. For additional details view our Privacy Policy.
Cookie preferences

You can control how your data is used on our website. Learn more below about the cookies we use by reviewing our Privacy Policy.

Your cookie preferences have been saved.